Sunny Soleil – emerging from the darkness
the struggle to be-come again in a decaying system
When I was in jail I wrote letters out asking for friends to send in letters or just a piece of paper soaked with essential oil. The stench of the officers’ cheap perfume was ghastly and I knew some healing essential oil smells would cheer me up. I didn’t know it at the time, but one... Continue Reading →
A story begins where it begins. Tomorrow my story may begin 40 years ago but today it begins here. I sat in the back of the cop car, handcuffed, watching through a blur of tears and window bars as the landscape of my life disappeared. The house faded behind the trees as we sped down... Continue Reading →
I used to go to church in the Spanish girls' cells. One of the women in our pod was a pastor. She held prayer meetings. A lot of crying and wailing went on and they had these songs they'd sing, like I'd never heard before, with a particular harmony and rhythm that felt alien at... Continue Reading →
The Pod is the collective word for the room containing a day room and cells. In each Pod there is a power system which is based on some very simple algorithms. He/She who can provide the most needed service, from translation to food...rules. Maria - Bilingual, 50ish, Hispanic Seasoned jail time - Lulu - 38... Continue Reading →
There was a schedule for TV, but Lulu overrode it and for the most part the pod was peaceful, so the officers let it slide. She and Christiani loved hip hop and would switch channels and turn up the volume full blast. I hate that kind of noise. It disturbs my spirit. After living in the peace... Continue Reading →
My next breakdown occurred in the second jail I was shipped to, 6 hours drive from my home town. Comes a time when all illegals must face the journey to an ICE detention centre. The one I was sent to on October 17th 2012, was Irwin County Detention Center which 'rented' a few pods to... Continue Reading →
In jail, if you're trying to get some help, it's OK to say you're depressed but everyone learns very quickly, when they ask you if you've ever felt suicidal, you say NO. If you admit to that you're done for. They will isolate you. I had to have a 'lose it' episode before I got an... Continue Reading →
