One, permitted items for visitors--
wedding ring, one pair of earrings, an upbeat attitude,
a warmth, a sense of purpose, $40 with nothing larger than $5
bills, a question to ask that's not too depressing,
a story to tell that's not too depressing--
no toys, an umbrella for inclement weather,
a way of staring that's like touching, a way of talking
that's like slipping through the door.
Two, contraband-- no money tucked away or folded up inside
a watch band, no lingering hug that gets a squirrelly
guard's back up, no pills sewn inside a belt loop,
no apocalyptic thinking, no excessive worrying that falls
out the mouth like ants, no burying the body before there
is a body, no giving up, but also no false shit-eating
grin--
no trusting the system, no trusting anyone, no tobacco,
no cell phone, no big sad cartoon eyes, no rage, no rage,
no rage, no rage, no rage.