You're free! You're free!
Tears streamed down my cheeks
We scooted out of the courtroom
You asked "Are you okay, honey?"
Me nodding, flushed, dripping, yes.
Two years probation, but you're here
You're here, oh my sweetheart
God heard my plea in there, please help -
Please don't let him go back to jail!
Oh, thank You, Heavenly Father!
"Do you need a kiss?" You ask me,
Giving me a tender one.
"We should go out for a latte!"
Your lawyer exclaims, smiling.
* * *
But my heart goes through a meatgrinder
That you had to admit to something
You did not do.
This is justice?
* * *

Glad you're laughing. The word "back" gives away the character no matter what you say! Means your "sweetheart" is a habitual offender of some sort. I for one am sick and tired of all the criminals let out and walking the street. Seldom do they change. You should be writing a poem about how you can get into a future with an upright person. The crime out there makes me sick and I want MORE justice done, not goody they walked! No sympathy here!
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Not knowing the circumstances, I would withhold judgment. Although, in general, I would tend to agree with your premise. Still, I'd want to know more before acquiescing. JFC
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These comments, like so many comments posted on this page, concern themselves entirely with a "moral" judgement of the contents of the poem. Surely that is not what this page ought to be about?
I would appeal to the serious writers here, those who really do want constructive feedback on their work, to put some extra effort into constructive literary criticism, in an attempt to at least balance the numerous voices of petty morality and humourless, artless, self-satisfied stupidity that have lately dominated this page.
To the two previous commentators. Who cares what you think of the morality of the person described here? Does it occur to you that the situation described might be entirely fictitious?
Or ironic? This is a poetry site. If you want to talk about morality, go to a f**king morality chat room.
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regardless of how anyone feels about "early-outs" and loopholes in the legal system, no one should have to pay for something they didn't do.
Even though I agree in some part with the first two comments, I liked the poem.
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Maybe #3 will care when a "let out" criminal gets ahold of them or their family. I feel as I do for good reason. My neighbor's 3 year daughter was raped by a man LET OUT to do it again! You don't like what I say #3 you go, we are as free to comment on poem's content as you are to gripe about "moral judgements"
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yep and every convict in prision says they didn't do it, I'm innocent you hear, innocent!
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once in a while, though, they are truly innocent. I knew it to happen once.
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Beyond the truth of guilt or innocence (which we are not knowledgeable enough to know) this poem expresses the emotion of the accused's sweetheart or wife in a flurry of mundane words "do you need a kiss?"
"shall we go for a latte?" Well done. JFC
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ditto jfc--poem is powerful expression of emotion whether
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well da--i hit the wrong command--as i was about to say-----ditto jfc--poem is powerful expression of emotion whether any of us agree with that emotion or not--as for the comments--agree that our judicial system is in pitiful shape!--window watcher
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We're confusing poetic expression and emotion, with Law and Ethics Course 101. Suppose poet's Mom is busted for taking cocaine, after Dad walks out, leaving her with 5 kids. Judge lets her off with probation. Is the poet supposed to write his poem, attacking the justice system; OR about how he feels about re-uniting with Mom? // Morton
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my point exactly
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I am presuming this poem was written by RJG, and I thought you were her friends. Hope I am wrong, but even so, you should be ashamed about not sympathizing with the author's plight - do you think only the guilty are charged? Can you imagine what a horrendous ordeal it is to be accused falsely of a crime? Just because there was one tragedy (child raped), does not mean we have no room in our hearts for another tragedy (being falsely accused) - and I am not equating the two. How about a little compassion, folks..especially those who have declared themselves Christians. ~EK
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Of 22 prisoners on death row in a Indiana prison, 11 were freed and found innocent.On death row no less-gives me the creeps. They are calling for a moritorium on death sentences. Every state should.
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I hope they all move to your neighborhood!
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Poems are like children, you give birth to them but they have their own lives and touch other people how they will. All you people that are saying stick to poetry, well poetry IS what it becomes! It is meant to create feeling and emotion in people. If it does it is good poetry. It is a compliment to the poet that all this controversy and feeling was stirred by their poem. Why do some of you want to stop that? Why censor any feeling the poem brings out in anyone? That is like hating your child because it turns out to be gay or different than you dreamed it to be. Let it be, let it cause, let it stir what it will. Poetry IS emotion! If this poem stirs anger at the laws in one reader, so what! That is how the poem affected them, let the poem be what it will to who it will! You don't like it? So what! Many parents don't like a gay child, so what! Love them anyway and be glad of the message and effect they do have! If I can't feel the poetry and let it stir in me what it will, I don't even want to read the stuff. So many of you try to analyze the poems to death, instead of embracing them and feeling them! So let the no sympathy commentor alone, you don't have to agree with them but respect that that is what this poem said to them. Respect their right to feel from this poem what they want. Should they have to go "straight" just because it fits your mold? If a poem doesn't stir any opinions in you about its content, the poem isn't worth reading! I might as well go read a grammer book for all you people want us to get out of a poem. My gayness may make me happy and someone else sad but so what! I don't want everyone to be like me!!!!!! I don't even want everyone to like me, I just want to have mattered! Let this poem matter in what ever way it will! Freelove
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Good point Freelove. I didn't see it that way until you pointed it out. Maybe some of the anger about the neighbor's three year old; the commentor was able to release because of the poem; was like a balm. So while the poem didn't have the intended effect, it had a good effect. Got ya. I agree with you too that poetry is about feelings.
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What a bunch of bull and how did you manage to turn this into gay rights statement