Jarvis, a youth committed to OYA’s Rogue Valley Youth Correctional Facility in Grants Pass, has won BreakFree Education’s Words Unlocked Poetry contest.
Read or listen to his poem, “Exploring My Life.”
Growing up in poverty,
My imagination would run wild.
Hit by reality,
Made it hard to smile.
Trials and tribulations,
Nothing seemed to help.
Experiences of frustration,
Cause no-one knew how I felt.
The journey of my life is rough and rigid,
But through my incarceration I learned how to cope.
There is no way to change it,
But in God I have faith, and for a new life I have hope.
So close to release,
So much is unknown.
Opportunities to seize,
More exploring to go.
Figuring out who I want to be,
Figuring out where I’m going to go.
When they let me free,
I can finally rest my soul.
We caught up with Jarvis to learn more about his art and process.
Question:
Why poetry? And do you do other types of writing, or is poetry your main thing?
Jarvis:
Yeah, I like writing music. And I realized that poems and music have a lot in common—like rhyming, and the way you set them up. Like, poems are kind of like how you write a song: you have the hook, and then the verse. It’s kind of the same format, so I just connect the two. I’ve even used another poem I wrote as part of a song I’m working on.
Question:
And how long have you been writing songs?
Jarvis:
Since I’ve been incarcerated—so, a little over two years.
Question:
And when did you start experimenting with poetry as something different from songs?
Jarvis:
I got into it about a year ago. Then I kind of drifted away from it for a bit, but came back to it around December last year and started writing more.
Question:
Did you find your way there on your own, or was there a teacher or a class that helped you get into it?
Jarvis:
I kind of just did it on my own. I like to communicate how I feel—without really saying how I feel. I know that sounds weird, but writing is how I do that.
Question:
And you prefer traditional rhyming poetry? Or do you ever write in non-rhyming formats?
Jarvis:
I’ve tried a little, but it’s not really my thing. I like rhyming. I like how you can use different pronunciations of words to make the flow and rhyme work.
Question:
You mentioned poetry is a way to express how you’re feeling. Is that always your subject matter, or do you write about other stuff too?
Jarvis:
Mostly I use it to express how I’m feeling. But sometimes something random pops into my head and I think, “Oh, that could be a good start for a poem.” So I write it down. I might not come back to it for a few days, but when I do, I add more. It’s just a process.
Question:
And you handwrite everything?
Jarvis:
Yeah, most of my stuff is handwritten.
Question:
And how do you decide whether you’re writing a poem or a song?
Jarvis:
If I can’t find a good rhythm or steady flow, then I usually keep it as a poem. But if I really like the lyrics and I can make it flow, keep it on beat, then I’ll turn it into a song. It usually ends up sounding pretty good.
Question:
Do you do any other artistic activities—like painting or drawing?
Jarvis:
I’ve tried, but I’m not that good at drawing. I do kind of like calligraphy, though. It’s fun messing around with different fonts and pens.
Question:
Well, thank you for sharing some of your process and inspiration with us, and congratulations again.