Ahmad Smadi is 36 years old and incarcerated in California, USA

"A Heart Now Pure" by Ahmad Smadi #BL2796

A Shakespearean sonnet written in iambic octameter.

I find myself in jail again, away from those I said I hate,
After I told them all to go to Hell and back from whence they came.
In isolation physically, despite my solitude, my fate
Seems predisposed to agony, for always I have been in shame.

In college, I drank to remove myself from those who did not care
About the suffering of the Earth, which kept me up in nights so cold
And plagued my mind throughout the day; too smart to say I'm unaware.
How did they all go on as if they knew not what need not be told?

Was I the only one who saw the rampant murder blatantly?
Or were they somehow numb to Reason due to mental Novocaine;
The anesthesia of the Soul breaking cognitive faculty?
I hope that is the case, lest they root not for Abel but for Cain.

But even though the dark persists, I grab an oar with sails unfurled;
Guided thereby a heart now pure; my compass for a brave new world.

It's funny how life brings you to the gate,
Regardless of your level of desire to face
The people that you love and hate,
And understand what feeds your inner fire.

Why do you think and feel the way you do?
Are they really your friends and enemies?
You must know that to tango it takes two.
You're free to choose your battles as you please.

So rise, Arjuna, claim your freedom now,
And rid yourself of false duality.
The dark exists as long as you allow
Your fear to lead you through adversity.

When you can see yourself in those you meet,
Compassion brings the sky beneath your feet.

Title: "The One in All"