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

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ISSUE NO. 20

March 2026

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Poetry

Twelve Years Trying to Patch Up My Soul

By

Abynei

Abynei writes from a prison in VIC.

'Amour Sans Amour' by Koko, acrylic on canvas, available for purchase on Boom Gate Gallery

My blue eyes look so drained,

But I’m strong, I’ll make it through.

It’s time to start it all again,

A different shade of blue,

Tear drops that fell one thousand times,

All conflicted from the start,

Worth less to me, than your brutal attempt,

To rip my world apart,

Violent waves of self destruction,

Come as quick as they leave,

Losing any chance to regret,

Who I choose to please,

Blue eyes burnt red, from the dope smoked

To forget,

I’ve spent twelve years trying to patch up my soul,

but its not fixed yet,

I had to build up brick walls,

to protect the broken girl of your design,

Self sabotage, self harm, self hate,

Key traits of the girl I’m trying to

leave behind.

My blue eyes look so drained,

But I’m strong, I’ll make it through.

It’s time to start it all again,

A different shade of blue,

Tear drops that fell one thousand times,

All conflicted from the start,

Worth less to me, than your brutal attempt,

To rip my world apart,

Violent waves of self destruction,

Come as quick as they leave,

Losing any chance to regret,

Who I choose to please,

Blue eyes burnt red, from the dope smoked

To forget,

I’ve spent twelve years trying to patch up my soul,

but its not fixed yet,

I had to build up brick walls,

to protect the broken girl of your design,

Self sabotage, self harm, self hate,

Key traits of the girl I’m trying to

leave behind.

This
piece
was originally printed in the
March 2026
edition of About Time.

Little Rhyme

By Justin

Here’s a little rhyme. As I’m chilling doing time, paying the price for my crime.

Creative

ISSUE NO. 24

1 MIN READ

Mother

By Biannca

What did you see when you looked at me? Just a little girl, I had no voice, you kept me down without a choice. You gave heartache and pain, said I was your endless shame.

Creative

ISSUE NO. 24

2 MIN READ

One Day We Will Be Free

By Matt

They talked to us about our struggles, their words we could not hear, while being condemned and held accountable; our vision was not clear.

Creative

ISSUE NO. 24

1 MIN READ

All for One, One for All at Bandyup

By Ruth

Bandyup is a place, where we are a mixed race. It doesn’t matter where we are from, we should support each other as one.

Creative

ISSUE NO. 24

1 MIN READ