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About Time is the national newspaper for Australian prisons and detention facilities

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Poetry

Lines For Define

By

Jon

Jon writes from a prison in VIC.

Stainless Images via Unsplash

“The colours of the rainbow

so pretty in the sky”

The colours of my jocks lying

on a bench

Uncovered by shutters

Unarmed waiting snakes

Too clean to congo

Too late to be vague

Cos reality is a disease

And all must please

The Society blisters

The eventful sleaze

Wrapped in iron bars

Closed behind doors

The sky is different

Some grey ugly war

Between insanity

And the reason

Parlours of goodbye

Never needed teasin’

Instinctive beginning

Call for hollow ends

Ending of the path

To another life rend

Yes, there may be colours

Stilled + on the page

After all disasters

The sky is still the sage

Of whispered prayers

And balderdash gods

Only in the inequality

The grey is in the odds

we play the game

and welcome tears as friends.

“The colours of the rainbow

so pretty in the sky”

The colours of my jocks lying

on a bench

Uncovered by shutters

Unarmed waiting snakes

Too clean to congo

Too late to be vague

Cos reality is a disease

And all must please

The Society blisters

The eventful sleaze

Wrapped in iron bars

Closed behind doors

The sky is different

Some grey ugly war

Between insanity

And the reason

Parlours of goodbye

Never needed teasin’

Instinctive beginning

Call for hollow ends

Ending of the path

To another life rend

Yes, there may be colours

Stilled + on the page

After all disasters

The sky is still the sage

Of whispered prayers

And balderdash gods

Only in the inequality

The grey is in the odds

we play the game

and welcome tears as friends.

This
piece
was originally printed in the
August 2026
edition of About Time.
By Daniel

I wrote this song when I started my sentence in June 2026.

ISSUE NO. 26
3 MIN READ
By Leonor

Somebody’s Daughter Theatre offers women within the prison system in Victoria, the opportunity to participate in weekly art workshops.

ISSUE NO. 26
2 MIN READ
By Martin

I’m a rapper and I thought I’d share one of the songs I’ve written.

ISSUE NO. 26
3 MIN READ
By Martin

I felt compelled to contribute so here follows a few submissions for your consideration.

ISSUE NO. 26
1 MIN READ
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