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Please Assess My Essay

Charlie Weinberg reading her poem

The following poem was composed by Charlie Weinberg as a creative response to the Captive Arts Prisoner Arts in Context International Symposium which took place at University of Warwick, November 21st, 2024. Charlie was one of two invited respondents who sought to summarise the various themes that emerged from a long and rich day, during our final panel. The poem was created by stitching together the words of others over the course of a day, and was performed as a moving conclusion to the event.

Please assess my essay

Patterning the pattern of the day.

Being with your baby- a permanent record. Who archives the history of beauty?

All I’ve got is my postcards and a pseudonym.

You come out with a split personality and two lives. It’s a little bit all over the place.

Evidence is really not the problem-It’s care.

I love my parents and they love me but we step to the side in company.

Anonymity.

Untitled, unknown, Yemen. Powerful degradation rituals.

You need capital to play.

Don’t hide like a hermit, get yourself in a better position, status elevation.

Don’t let others’ thoughts define you.

Stories in a hard and a soft voice so as not to be forgotten.

Masks are part of the vocabulary of prison.

I don’t apologise for ambition. Smuggle out the story of the torture.

What’s next? Indiscriminate weapons. Lock away the monsters forever.

Prison is not sexy. It is deathly.

Places can get used to a voice.

Resettlement is an oxymoron. I couldn’t even get a pencil.

Excuse the language, if it comes out, it comes out. I just want to rant.

This is not what it is like in a gas chamber. It is very controversial.

You pay and we’ll take the kudos. The lack of interest, the lack of empathy. I work hard to better myself.

Corrections.

Even if it is uncomfortable.

The trust funds, it’s nothing to do with the system.

From destruction to creativity, a link to the divine.

So who’s the dummy now? (We will include women at some point).

I’m quite capable of speaking on my own terms about myself today. I can’t believe how angry I am.

The anti-social individual.

Prison is not ideal. I’m still angry.

Whose baby will you track?

We’re talking into a vacuum and

My friend is dead and

The outrage never came. There’s a line to be trod.

You go backwards as you move through the system. The more progress you make, the less secure you are.

You’re locked in your own head, you need earplugs.

Do risk assessments based on lyrical maturity. Look and seek for rebellion and escape.

These harms are universal but

I am optimistic.

Write one thousand words a day.

Write one thousand words a day.

I am optimistic.

These harms are universal but

Do risk assessments based on lyrical maturity. Look and seek for rebellion and escape.

You’re locked in your own head, you need earplugs.

You go backwards as you move through the system. The more progress you make, the less secure you are.

The outrage never came. There’s a line to be trod.

My friend is dead and

We’re talking into a vacuum and

Whose baby will you track?

Prison is not ideal. I’m still angry.

The anti-social individual.

I’m quite capable of speaking on my own terms about myself today. I can’t believe how angry I am.

So who’s the dummy now? (We will include women at some point).

From destruction to creativity, a link to the divine.

The trust funds, it’s nothing to do with the system.

Even if it is uncomfortable. Corrections.

You pay and we’ll take the kudos. The lack of interest, the lack of empathy. I work hard to better myself.

This is not what it is like in a gas chamber. It is very controversial.

Excuse the language, if it comes out, it comes out. I just want to rant.

Resettlement is an oxymoron. I couldn’t even get a pencil.

Places can get used to a voice.

Prison is not sexy. It is deathly.

What’s next? Indiscriminate weapons. Lock away the monsters forever.

I don’t apologise for ambition. Smuggle out the story of the torture.

Masks are part of the vocabulary of prison.

Stories in a hard and a soft voice so as not to be forgotten.

Don’t let others’ thoughts define you.

Don’t hide like a hermit, get yourself in a better position, status elevation.

You need capital to play.

Untitled, unknown, Yemen. Powerful degradation rituals.

Anonymity.

I love my parents and they love me but we step to the side in company.

It’s care.

Evidence is really not the problem.

You come out with a split personality and two lives. It’s a little bit all over the place.

All I’ve got is my postcards and a pseudonym.

Being with your baby- a permanent record. Who archives the history of beauty?

Patterning the pattern of the day.

Please assess my essay

 

Charlie Weinberg is an independent consultant and CEO of August, which provides specialist support to leaders, practitioners and teams wanting to learn, improve, develop or just be more aware of their own culture. She has significant experience as a youth worker and community arts activist, and throughout her career she has performed a broad spectrum of roles in the field of reducing social harm and gendered approaches to community building. Charlie was formerly Executive Director at Safe Ground (2010-2022) and Chair of Trustees at Centre for Crime and Justice Studies (2017-2023).