Below you will find a compilation of verses from the Tanakh related to prisoners, liberation, and justice, featuring alternate translations by Noraa Kaplan. Alongside our holy texts you will find the poems written by those who are currently incarcerated, many of them in federal prisons far from their homes. Take time to read each selection and to allow them to be in conversation with each other.
New
By DT
I’m tired of the old where is the new
New year, New month, Same ol you
Nothing feels like new shoes
New love or a new car
Except new blues or a release date not too far
I’m tryin new ways for the same ol thing
It’s a new day, but the pain has the same ol sting
So I ask, is anything new under the sun?
Or do your present become your future
But was it new when it began?
By DT
I’m tired of the old where is the new
New year, New month, Same ol you
Nothing feels like new shoes
New love or a new car
Except new blues or a release date not too far
I’m tryin new ways for the same ol thing
It’s a new day, but the pain has the same ol sting
So I ask, is anything new under the sun?
Or do your present become your future
But was it new when it began?
תָּ֤ב֣וֹא לְפָנֶיךָ֮ אֶנְקַ֢ת אָ֫סִ֥יר כְּגֹ֥דֶל זְרוֹעֲךָ֑ ה֝וֹתֵ֗ר בְּנֵ֣י תְמוּתָֽה׃
Let the groans of the prisoners reach You;
reprieve those condemned to death,
as befits Your great strength.
Let prisoners' cries reach you, with your great arm save those condemned to death.
In My Heart
By AW
I have been
Stuck in this cage alone,
Knowing, yet, scared and
Barred from the help
Necessary to transcend
This blinding suffering
Ingrained in my gut.
My dad’s father’s
Popa’s father’s pain,
I feel in my heart.
By AW
I have been
Stuck in this cage alone,
Knowing, yet, scared and
Barred from the help
Necessary to transcend
This blinding suffering
Ingrained in my gut.
My dad’s father’s
Popa’s father’s pain,
I feel in my heart.
אֲנִ֧י יהוה קְרָאתִ֥יךָֽ בְצֶ֖דֶק וְאַחְזֵ֣ק בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ וְאֶצׇּרְךָ֗ וְאֶתֶּנְךָ֛ לִבְרִ֥ית עָ֖ם לְא֥וֹר גּוֹיִֽם׃ לִפְקֹ֖חַ עֵינַ֣יִם עִוְר֑וֹת לְהוֹצִ֤יא מִמַּסְגֵּר֙ אַסִּ֔יר מִבֵּ֥ית כֶּ֖לֶא יֹ֥שְׁבֵי חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃
I the LORD, in My grace, have summoned you,
And I have grasped you by the hand.
I created you, and appointed you
A covenant people, a light of nations— Opening eyes deprived of light,
Rescuing prisoners from confinement,
From the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
I, Hashem, have called you in justice, and strengthened your hand. I made you a people of a covenant, and appointed you as a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring prisoners out of prison, those who sit in darkness out of jail.
When I Fall
By JK
There are so many levels to the word fall
I’ve tried to find ways to explain them all
Autumn is my favorite season
Using the word fall seems like treason
It’s such an easy way to say something that feels so beautiful
Cool, crisp wind & fresh air that’s so plentiful
It often makes me want to fall asleep
Listening to trees & the breeze puts me in so deep
Speaking of so deep, what about how we fall in love
That phrase always stumps me, makes me wonder
Then I shrug
When you fall the first thought is that it hurts
It’s painful just like love when you realize it’s not gonna work
To think it all started out with a smile, because you’re a flirt
So you fall back and then you’re back on once again
When is this cycle gonna come to an end
Now you’re careful, fully aware
You won’t ever fall through the cracks
All it took is one time
Now you’re back on the right track
And
You can also chill out and cut the next guy some slack
By JK
There are so many levels to the word fall
I’ve tried to find ways to explain them all
Autumn is my favorite season
Using the word fall seems like treason
It’s such an easy way to say something that feels so beautiful
Cool, crisp wind & fresh air that’s so plentiful
It often makes me want to fall asleep
Listening to trees & the breeze puts me in so deep
Speaking of so deep, what about how we fall in love
That phrase always stumps me, makes me wonder
Then I shrug
When you fall the first thought is that it hurts
It’s painful just like love when you realize it’s not gonna work
To think it all started out with a smile, because you’re a flirt
So you fall back and then you’re back on once again
When is this cycle gonna come to an end
Now you’re careful, fully aware
You won’t ever fall through the cracks
All it took is one time
Now you’re back on the right track
And
You can also chill out and cut the next guy some slack
יֹ֭שְׁבֵי חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָ֑וֶת אֲסִירֵ֖י עֳנִ֣י וּבַרְזֶֽל׃ כִּֽי־הִמְר֥וּ אִמְרֵי־אֵ֑ל וַעֲצַ֖ת עֶלְי֣וֹן נָאָֽצוּ׃ וַיַּכְנַ֣ע בֶּעָמָ֣ל לִבָּ֑ם כָּ֝שְׁל֗וּ וְאֵ֣ין עֹזֵֽר׃ וַיִּזְעֲק֣וּ אֶל־יהוה בַּצַּ֣ר לָהֶ֑ם מִ֝מְּצֻ֥קוֹתֵיהֶ֗ם יוֹשִׁיעֵֽם׃ י֭וֹצִיאֵם מֵחֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָ֑וֶת וּמוֹסְר֖וֹתֵיהֶ֣ם יְנַתֵּֽק׃ יוֹד֣וּ לַיהוה חַסְדּ֑וֹ וְ֝נִפְלְאוֹתָ֗יו לִבְנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃ כִּֽי־שִׁ֭בַּר דַּלְת֣וֹת נְחֹ֑שֶׁת וּבְרִיחֵ֖י בַרְזֶ֣ל גִּדֵּֽעַ׃
Some lived in deepest darkness,
bound in cruel irons, because they defied the word of God,
spurned the counsel of the Most High. God humbled their hearts through suffering;
they stumbled with no one to help. In their adversity they cried to the LORD,
and God rescued them from their troubles. God brought them out of deepest darkness,
broke their bonds asunder. Let them praise the LORD for the Divine's steadfast love,
God's wondrous deeds for humankind; for God shattered gates of bronze,
God broke their iron bars.
Some lived in darkness, in the shadow of death, imprisoned in poverty and iron... their hearts were humbled in suffering, they stumbled and no one helped. In their narrow place, they cried out to Hashem, and they were delivered from their distress, brought out from darkness and the shadow of death, their bonds snapped off... Hashem shattered doors of bronze, and cut through iron bars.
Wait 4 Me
By AS
Wait 4 Me
Because I’m almost free
No more cuffs on my hands
No more shackles on my feet
No more waking up sad
No more crying to sleep
I’m tired of commissary bags
& stupid kiosk machines
I’m almost free
1 million things on my mind
Like when I leave out these doors
Ain’t no more count time
No more waking up 4 dimes
I’m tired of watching Fox 5
I’m on my way to R&D*
With a Kool-Aid smile
*Receiving & Discharge
By AS
Wait 4 Me
Because I’m almost free
No more cuffs on my hands
No more shackles on my feet
No more waking up sad
No more crying to sleep
I’m tired of commissary bags
& stupid kiosk machines
I’m almost free
1 million things on my mind
Like when I leave out these doors
Ain’t no more count time
No more waking up 4 dimes
I’m tired of watching Fox 5
I’m on my way to R&D*
With a Kool-Aid smile
*Receiving & Discharge
A Prompt from The Free Minds Book Club and Writing Workshop:
Write an “I am from” poem. Start each line of the poem with “I am from..” and fill in something about your background, where you come from, and what makes you who you are. Think about things like your home, your family, your friends, major experiences, your beliefs, and anything else that you think is important in defining yourself and your past. Don’t worry about rhyming or style, just write!
Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop builds community to foster personal development and systems change for justice-involved youth and adults through the literary arts, workforce development, trauma healing, peace-building, and member-led advocacy.
Write an “I am from” poem. Start each line of the poem with “I am from..” and fill in something about your background, where you come from, and what makes you who you are. Think about things like your home, your family, your friends, major experiences, your beliefs, and anything else that you think is important in defining yourself and your past. Don’t worry about rhyming or style, just write!
Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop builds community to foster personal development and systems change for justice-involved youth and adults through the literary arts, workforce development, trauma healing, peace-building, and member-led advocacy.