A Prison Window by Mario Finesse Wright

My name is Mario Finesse Wright, I am 32 years old and a proud father of 3 children. I was born and raised in Newark, NJ and I am currently serving an 8 year federal sentence for a non violent drug offense. Though this is not my first rodeo, this particular sentence is unique because I found purpose in my writing. I write so that my pain, my style, and my love can touch the world.

I am currently working on a few projects, including my artist Instagram page @InfluentialFinesse, where I showcase my poems and performances I have written and recorded while here. My writing and my poetry are the most special to me. A lot of my writing is inspired by my life before and during my incarceration.

My first arrest would be at the young age of 2, when my parents were both arrested while I was in the car therefore sending me into the child services system. My mother is an Italian woman and my father a Black man, both of whom have struggled with their own issues with addiction, the streets, and the law. So it's no surprise I picked up and carried on the family tradition. No matter my experiences and hurdles in life, I always try to learn and come back stronger.

With this particular sentence I am putting the criminal lifestyle to rest. I hope to be a better leader, guiding others away from the destruction and impact prison has on lives. This is one of the main reasons I write; to inspire. I have 3 younger brothers who were co-defendants in my case and are also incarcerated with me. Not only did they look up to me, but others did too and it's time for me to break the cycle and lead by better example. I shall be home by the end of this year in Oct 2021 and I look forward to sharing more of my work with the world.

Good Morning (From A Prison Window)

I awoke today! Always a good start.

I lay in my bed looking out the window at a serene sky.

It's still dark and the moon is full.

The moon disappears completely in the clouds and

once the clouds clear, the moon glows.

The sky is a dark blue. I would need a big crayon box

with labels to know the precise color. The moon is a

yellowish white like a light. The clouds start to smother

the moon again. I say smother because when the clouds

go into the light, their a dark gray. It looks like the smoke

that comes from the top of a factory building in a city when

you pass by it on a highway. How could something polluted

look exactly like something so beautiful? The moon survives

the smothering as the clouds pass by again. I thought I seen

a big star close to the moon which stars seem to be so rare

nowadays. But as I moved in my bed, I noticed it was just a

speck in the window. Amazed me how the speck shined just

like a star, again how could something so dirty look so pretty?

Two feet under the moon, the clouds and the speck was the

top of the trees, I meditated on how these things so far

from each other but from my outlook could be so close in the

same picture. The wind started to sing through the window

cracks as the sun danced his way in. I seen the sun and moon

together in the sky like lovers passing by. Even though the

bars in the window tried to ruin the marvelous view. Even though

I wouldn't leave out of the cell to get a good whiff of it, I knew

today would be a good day as I realized how precious life truly is.