Every man’s deeds are in accordance with the measure of his own light or darkness. No man can live higher than he is or act beyond the limits of his knowledge. Nevertheless, he can improve himself, and thereby gradually increase his light and extend the range of his knowledge. -James Allen
The darkness within me leads me in the
wrong direction.
I did things at a young age that changed
my life trajectory.
Fighting, stealing, selling drugs,
shooting guns and killing.
That was the darkness I grew up living.
What I thought was right was really wrong.
I let the darkness lead the way
and it led me to a life sentence,
But what should now be my continued journey
down a darker path,
Has become the first step toward seeing
the light that leads me to a brighter path.
Being confined has forced me to deal with
the inner darkness that consumed me,
allowing me to look at myself in the mirror
and ask myself, Who are you? What are you doing?
It took me over a decade to find answers
to those questions, because when you can
barely read and write and you have no sense of direction,
it’s harder to come out of the darkness and answer the
who are you and what are you doing questions.
Now, with age, wisdom and learning, I see the path clearly
and the light within me is leading the way.
You ask me who I am, and I will tell you
a father, a brother, a friend and a mentor.
You ask me what I am doing and I will tell you
I’m remaining firm in my struggle,
constantly learning, studying
and preparing myself for my freedom.
The light has been turned on and the darkness no longer exists.
I have come a long way in my journey from darkness to light.
I give praise to God for showing me the light!.
This poem is excerpted from Inside The Confined Mind, a collection of lyrical poems and philosophies that reflect the journey of Angelo Daniels, who has spent the last 31 years incarcerated.
