Finding Freedom

Contents

Foreword, by Melody Ermachild Chavis

xi
Acknowledgments

xix

SANCTUARY

Sanctuary

3
Rats
7
Little Black Sparrow 9
Pablo's Wish 13
The Man Who Talks to Himself 19
A Reason to Live 25
Fruitcakes 35
Thirteen Sixty-Eight 47
The Boneyard Visit 51
Funny How Time Flies

57
MOURNING EXERCISE

Recipe for Prison Pruno

63
When I First Got Charged 65
Scars 67
Me and My Sisters 73
My Mother Died 77
Mourning Exercise 79
Dread 83
I Open My Palms to the Sky 87
Justice Marshall Resigns 89
Bryan 91
It's Become So Hard 97

O.J

.99

In My Recurrent Dream

105

FINDING FREEDOM

Night's Bright Stars

109
For a Long Time 111
Seeking Silence 115
The Dalai Lama Hat 119
San Quentin Is Really Rockin''n' Rollin' 121

The Empowerment Ceremony

123
Understanding Impermanence 131
Angry Faces 133
Maxism 137
Joe Bob 139
Every Night Before I Go to Sleep 143

Tylenol Prayer Beads

145
Meditation Has Become 149
Peace Activist 151
I Was Walking 157
Fourth of July 159
Stop! A Buddhist Is Here! 169
Epilogue 175
Afterword by H.E. Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche

Finding Freedom