COPYRIGHT,
BY H. P. M'KNIGHT,
A. D. 1896.
Prison Poetry,
BY
H. P. McKNIGHT.
In leisure moments cast a look
Upon the pages of this book;
And if your thoughts they should engage,
Just think of me who wrote this page.
And if by chance, in your time of leisure,
You, in these pages, should find pleasure,
Then dart your mind up to this cell,
For here I live in an earthly HELL.
DEDICATION.
Go forth, thou little volume,
I leave thee to thy fate!
To those who read thee faithfully
Thy leaves I dedicate.
But if your fate should be so sad
As mine who thee have writ,
I'd be so vexed to think that I
Had made such a poor "hit."
But if by chance you meet a friend
Along life's road so dreary,
Just cheer his mind till he is blind,
And never make him weary.
Teach him the way, the live-long day,
To lend a helping hand,
And never turn or even spurn
Those wrecked on life's hard strand.
If chance should be you return to me,
Along with harvest's golden,
I'll vouch for thee to all who see,
That thou wilt not embolden.
And now go forth, thou little book,
I leave thee to thy fate!
To those who read thee faithfully
Thy leaves I dedicate.
PREFACE.
In the preparation of the verses that fill these pages I havebeen helped by some of the prisoners of this institution. Thedonors have been somewhat few, for which I return thanks;but each and every verse is a fair representation of themany phases that the mind of a prisoner passes through, and ofhis true sentiment. Those that have been donated by my fellowprisoners are accredited to them by either their name or serialnumber. Some of the verses have been published in our prison"News," but inasmuch as they have reached only an inconsiderablefew outside the prison walls, I prepare this littlevolume and hand it to the wide, wide world. My motto, in sodoing, is:
May you who enjoy the blessings of liberty and worldly freedom,partake with us of our solitary musings, and enjoy ournoblest thoughts and resolutions, as well as for us to enjoyyours; and that you may know that we are not devoid of true,manly, noble principle simply because we are cast—some justly,others unjustly—into prison.
May we exchange greetings with you all—shake—and if bychance I have been for