Driving Straight Down a Curvy Road

  While being incarcerated I've discovered that I have a talent for drawing. I'm (considered) an excellent artist. It's no wonder the jump to tattooing was not very far and has become another hidden talent where my passion allows me the ability to excel. There's just something about putting a permanent piece of art on someone's skin that I enjoy immensely. To realize for the rest of their lives they will be representing me and my talents is very fulfilling. I've found that I'm especially good at realism such as portraits and animals, but have become well versed in just about all genres - prison, urban and traditional art.  I feel my ability to mimic anything I see to exact detail sets me apart from other artist/tattooist. There really isn't anything i can't do, even with the limited supply's I have access to.        "How do you tattoo in prison?" you ask. Well, we are able to buy beard trimmers and electric razors. The motors in these d...

 Today's one of those mornings that there just isn't enough coffee. Three cups in and looking for my fourth. A day I'm not looking forward to and wish I didn't have to face. Turning on the radio isn't helping. I'm so tired of country music. I find myself awakened by a haunting dream of tomorrow... not past mistakes, but a foreboding of what is to come. A dream of being released. The happiness of walking out the front gate... turning into the reality of the loss of so many people over the years of my tenure here. I find myself leaving a pit of despair to a world alone. The irony pinnacled by the fact that I've been incarcerated for robbery only to find myself being robbed of life itself. The memories. The experiences. The enjoyment of the family and friends that i so ignorantly took for granted. Hope evaporated as if a wisp of smoke. My image of a happy reunion was in fact just that; a dream which I realize now was merely false hope. The hardest part for me -...

Early morning coffee with Kurt Cobain, always a good way to start the day. I'm a huge Nirvana fan. My favorite song is probably "Molly" which is actually a Bill Monroe song. A lot of people don't know that Cobain was actually a pretty big bluegrass fan. Maybe that's why I dig Cobain so much. Being from Southwestern Virginia, the birthplace of bluegrass, I guess it's in my blood.  Well, it's starting to get light and I don't think the fog is ever going to lift. It's been heavy for the last week, all day every day. Even the crows are tired of it. I think they've migrated to brighter skies. I haven't caught a glimpse of their cumbersome bodies in days. Unfortunately outside rec is canceled whenever there is fog so needless to say we haven't been outdoors in over a week. Crazy how I'm actually missing the rec yard. The yard here is one of the bigger yards in the system. It's divided into three sections and two weight piles. I spend ...