Not Just Words
Lina Trochez
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Poetry
The voice is beautiful; my lungs fill with a relieved gasp.
I expected a prison sentence.
A feeling of chest tightening, breath weak, metal and voices.
A life of strip searches and beatings.
But I have a table of warmth and empathy, compassion and communication.
An unwavering sense of belief and understanding, with the outcome forever changed for me, and everyone is utterly breathtaking.
A chance, I tell you, at real recovery, support and the understanding of who we are, our background, our life, our everything.
With a simple question. A simple ‘why?’
Which leads to further questions, then genuine support.
‘Why are you here?’
‘Why did you do it?’
The real truth, the further questions.
‘How can we help?’
And help.
I mean, real help.
Homes, counseling, communication, support, warmth, food, clothing, necessities and so much more.
Where the media report on the person behind the story, not a glamorous lie.
Where everyone understands that people need support and help, not hard and forced solitude.
Where governments say ‘no’ to prisons and ‘yes’ to actual help and improvement.
And do it.
Actions, not just words.
Date Published
November 11, 2025
By About Time
Clearly you only have to nominate ‘time travel’ as the subject of a writing competition to get people thinking.
ISSUE NO. 27
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2 MIN READ
By Marley
Time, for me, was at first just “the clock on the wall” at high school. When is lunch? When will this test finish? And when is home time?
ISSUE NO. 27
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1 MIN READ
By Jaivien
Have you ever found yourself at the bottom of a well?
ISSUE NO. 27
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By Rain
The decay of an atom indicates that time itself has passed, it is the origin of our concept of time.
ISSUE NO. 27
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3 MIN READ