In prison, waking up can be particularly painful. When I was at the SHU (Canada’s Super Max) I would sometimes imagine the scenes in this poem to help me get through the day.

I remember a time, not long ago,
when I once sailed all alone.
When despair was an endless ocean,
and the land of hope was but a dream.
When I would awake at the break of dawn,
and the highest mast I would slowly climb,
to look for as far as my eyes could see,
hoping for an end to my misery.
My sight would return with nothing at all,
my heart would ache and my head would fall.
But in my sadness I would hear a voice,
Saying despair was but a choice.
You’re not alone for God is your friend,
and every hardship must one day end.