The following poem was thought out, and then later written, on November 25, 2005. On this day I refused to come out the shower (which is a very narrow type space) in protest of the foul conditions on Texas death row and in solidarity with Tony Ford’s protest against his execution. In retaliation the officers left me in the shower for about 3 hours. These showers are sealed by a steel door and there’s only a small slot to breathe out of. They sought this as a form to break me. I saw it differently.

my brain was

busting through bean slots and

bucking passed barricades.

i felt a VC in the bunker

breathing in toxic fumes of putrid TDC,

breathing out pure rebellion.

i was telling them

i would not break

as they attempted to belittle me

“we’ll leave you there all day” they bellowed

and i barked back

the longer the better

you b******s!

i thrive off the jungle like

guerrillas in the mist.

Looking out this bean shute

i clunked my fist.

i chanted

i resist!

resist!

rocking back and forth in

this watery coffin

they thought they had trapped me/

smothered my soul,

but my spirit was sprinkling

like the faucet above me.

hour

after

hour

i was buried in a death shower and

i only shouted

POWER!

POWER to the people!

it was evil.

i said

do you remember baby Moses?

he was placed in a blanket and

floated down the river/

delivered into the house of the pharaoh

he broke them

as i’ll do to you.

i’ll see you at the Red Sea!!!

my soul was boisterous/

bubbling/boiling.

½ naked they was still troubled by

the courage of man

heart beating like a tommy gun drum

sometimes you sit to stand

like Rosa.

racing against the sands of time

i met eye to eye

with my captors

and let them know i would not sink.

i’ll see you at the Red Sea!!!

you see,

i recognize prophecy.

they profit off we –

million dollar industry of

nooses and grey gooses/

stock market slave sellers.

in the cellar

i became better at stella symmetry.

i defied the catastophe of nihilism.

Brilliant!

this Bolivian like Brigade.

DRIVE we did

bomb them with grenades of

beautiful unrest.

the test?

the test was

mind of matter/

a shotgun scatter

of consciousness

spraying the zombies surrounding me.

“i sacrifice in solidarity for you!”*

 one screamed to a one-eyed demon.

the revolution will not be televised.

f**k that!

i’ll purchase it for 5.95

and air it live.

as long as i’m alive i’ll thrive!

you hear me?

thinking I was deranged

they left me to my own devices,

and that’s where they messed up

as i plotted on

Truth, Freedom and Equality

by any means!

i’ll see you at the Red Sea!

i’ll see you at the Red Sea!

Kenneth E. Foster Jr.

* This statement was made by Robert Woodard to the video camera as he was being carried to solitary for protesting against the death penalty and Tony Ford’s execution.