with the family he lost. i ve got a daughter. man, i ain t never told her i love her. she s 27 years old. i ve got five grandkids. i ain t never told her i love her. i can t do it. i ve made a lot of mistakes and lost a lot of my life that i can t get back, but i thank god that i m still living. next on lockup, women behind bars. women s detention center is the nicest of all the facilities, if you can call any of them nice, but jail is hell. i don t wanna be right [ record scratch ] what?! it s not bad for you. it just tastes that way. [ female announcer ] honey nut cheerios cereal heart-healthy, whole grain oats. you can t go wrong loving it.
when she gave an impromptu performance for the women in her jail dorm. and the bible says that god blesses baby and fools. i think god has a sense of humor and is amused, you see, because being in a women s detention center is not all he has in store for me. i guess that s how i started to write poetry. it saved me from arguments, headaches and heartaches. i like it because i feel that i can express, i can teach, i can motivate others. i feel good when i m up there. when i m on stage and i recite and on the mike i feel free. there s no boundaries. living a life of crime bought nothing but misery. i had nice cars, living like a star with the bling-bling and the dress code and my gun always on lock and load on a long, dark road going nowhere. poetry had such an effect on some of the younger women inmates, almost being moved to tears, they were so overwhelmed by what she had to say to them.
i think god has a sense of humor and is amused, you see, because being in a women s detention center is not all he has in store for me. i guess that s how i started to write poetry. it saved me from arguments, headaches and heartaches. i like it because i feel that i can express, i can teach, i can motivate others. i feel good when i m up there. when i m on stage and i recite and on the mike i feel free. there s no boundaries. living a life of crime bought nothing but misery. i had nice cars, living like a star with the bling-bling and the dress code and my gun always on lock and load on a long, dark road going nowhere. poetry had such an effect on some of the younger women inmates, almost being moved to tears, they were so overwhelmed by what she had to say to them. poetry is meant, it s deep down in your core. i m here to stay, i found my way, i want to be heard for all to hear and see, but to be honest, i do it, i do it for me. [ cheers and applause ]
position one time, and i took a microsoft entry-level test, and i scored a 98 because i m very intelligent, and they would not give me a job because i was a convicted felon, and i told the lady, i was like you re telling me you would rather pay higher taxes than give me a job? you d rather pay higher taxes and build more prisons and more jails than offer me a job, and you know i m qualified for it? and she told me those are the rules. so the system is kind of messed up, and i think that s why a lot of people keep coming back. though frustrated by the system, collins had found a way to voice her grievances. my name is gwendolyn collins. and the poem is why i write poetry. i don t write poetry for the fame, speaking loud with no shame, the words i spit i claim, it s all a part of the game i call life. i consider myself an artist, painting mental pictures in my head. we saw collins the slam poet when she gave an impromptu performance for the women in her jail dorm. and the bible
i ain t never told her i love her. i can t do it. i ve made a lot of mistakes and lost a lot of my life that i can t get back, but i thank god that i m still living. next on lockup, women behind bars. women s detention center is the nicest of all the facilities, if you can call any of them nice, but jail is hell.