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Other essays on this theme
Essay: "The View from My Cell"by Tommy Ray Eiland The view from my cell isn’t much to speak of. The window itself is something like four feet long by eight inches wide. Inside my cell, the window is covered with two inch squares of steel to prevent escapes. Between that and the window itself, where a screen would normally be placed, is a sheet of steel with holes drilled into it. The holes are smaller than a pencil, we refer to them as “bullet holes.” Then the window itself has been frosted so that we can’t see out of it.
Luckily, we’re able to crank open the window. It opens up about six or seven inches. If you press your face close to the steel squares, you can look through the bullet holes at a downward angle to the grass. This time of year the grass isn’t much to look at. It looks sort of grey and tired. No insects are out and about either. Too cold for spiders, too. You can get a better view looking off to the side. I can see across the field to the perimeter fence. The best part is the sky close to sunset. It’s a beautiful blue around seven p.m. We can’t see any stars because of all the prison lights. It’s not much of a view, but I’m sure thankful for it. Because I’ve been places that didn’t have a view at all. So I can appreciate what I do have. |