35 YEARS A CORRECTIONAL OFFICER
Ms. Goodall does not drink, swear, or masturbate.
“It’s against God’s will,” she says.
Ms. Goodall does not gamble, gets paid to be slick
an’ creep around after 1:00 AM to listen for
creaking beds, so she can give out incident reports
to anyone she catches by the creaks
of their bed “Masturbating!”
“It’s against God’s will,” she says.
So I lay naked on the floor, along with cold
tile, I feel like a private under the bunk,
hiding from the enemy.
/as her Sears/Roebuck crepe soles creep by the door –
I wanted to ask, what’s the difference between a
creaking bed/a manic breathing heavy under the door.
Carolyn Baxter. Prison Solitary and Other Free Government Services (1979)
