"33 Hours" was written while I was actually incarcerated for a misdemeanor charge filed by my ex-wife. At the time, I had no way of knowing how my case would turn out. I still couldn't understand why I was in this position. In the end, even the D.A. and some staff members didn't quite comprehend my ex's motives based on the evidence presented and other circumstances. The "Goliath" I mention in this poem and in several other areas of my book represents a headstrong, determined, and powerful entity that can either bring you up or take you down.

33 HOURS

I sat there alone in a 15 by 20 foot concrete holding cell.
Scared and nervous, I was going through a living hell.
Without any shoes and an old, dingy blanket to cover me,
I desperately wished to be home in the arms of my family.
I watched people walk quickly past the thick window pane
And wondered what was their story, what was their pain.
I carefully studied my surroundings and found them inept.
I looked at the floor beneath me. Had it ever been swept?
There were no beds, only an uncomfortable wooden bench.
From across the room, I could smell the terrible stench
Of previous guests both men and women and juveniles.
There are no happy endings here, no real reasons to smile.
I watched people walk quickly past the thick window pane
And wondered what was their story, what was their pain.
I heard the thick metal doors open and then close again.
On my left and on my right, a new inmate was coming in.
I lost all sense of time. I couldn't tell the night from day.
All that comforted me was sleep and my ability to pray
That I would be out soon and this would all be behind me,
A tragic page in my past and nothing more than a memory.
I watched people walk quickly past the thick window pane
And wondered what was their story, what was their pain.
I sometimes paced across the floor to gather my thoughts.
I felt I had reached rock bottom and all my hope was lost.
Goliath found another way to show her senseless powers.
As I sat there deprived of my freedom for a full 33 hours.
I watched people walk quickly past the thick window pane
And wondered what was their story, what was their pain.
My story was one filled with hurt, anger, and deception.
My antagonist, a Goliath who tried to dispel my perception.
My eyes didn't deceive me and my heart tried to warn me,
But Goliath was stronger; her main goal was to burn me.
I prayed for peace and I prayed for a forgiving heart,
But I was too angry to know where my heart could start.
I watched people walk quickly past the thick window pane
And wondered what was their story, what was their pain.
I gazed at the walls and the ceiling, both riddled with words
Indicative of hate and anger, and then a calm voice I heard
Saying to me, "do not worry; your blessings will be many.
Be at peace, and I shall fight the battle with your enemy."
I watched people walk quickly past the thick window pane
And wondered what was their story, what was their pain.
I kept watching people walk quickly past the window pane
And I was thankful for my challenges and I will love again.