Mama’s On the Phone
a poem by Lisa Culley, artist in prison in the Coffee Creek Program

“Mama’s on the phone!”
Grammy gives a shout
It’s another call from jail
Who knows when I’ll get out

Mama’s on the phone
I hear the footsteps of my kid
It’s just a normal day
While her parents serve a bid

Ryder’s on the phone
I can hear the pain in her voice
Baby Girl, I don’t know why
Again I’ve made this choice

Ryder’s on the phone
I ask about her day
Then silence fills the air
She’s ran out of things to say

My mama’s on the phone
Quickly I begin to sob
“What’s going on kiddo?”
“Thanks, Mom, for doing my job.”

My daddie’s on the phone
It’s time for me to change
Not just a little bit
I must completely rearrange

My family’s on the phone
Soon I’ll make them proud
I’ll grow up and get all four of us
Out from underneath this cloud

My family’s on the phone
But it’s time for me to go
There’s only one more minute left
I miss you more than you know

Silence on the phone
I close my eyes and pray
My heart, it’s at home with you
Not in this place I stay

Silence on the phone
But there’s so much more than love
In the light that shines down on you
Back from the heavens above