Happy birthday, Steve. You are loved and missed.

Linda: when are you going to send me a copy of the picture of Daddy you have? :)

Forever and ever, my love. Amabinas.

You still drive me into the crazies.

There are days when the sun does not shine here and I view every word from you as a ray of sunshine.

They wore stripes in the old day and not just on their clothes.

Theresa: Baby, I am still waiting for those pictures.

I am who I am so let that be good enough.

The doctor here said to just walk it off, so I spend my days walking in circles, playing dominoes, and daydreaming of another life.

My nights are spent dreaming of my life.

I'm taking a computer class here. I had never been on one before this year. I am enjoying learning how to use it. My typing is up to 31 wpm. Not bad for someone with arthritis. As smart as I think I am, I can always learn more. :)

Quis custadiet ipsos custodes?

Greetings to my lovely niece in Reno. I'm glad you enjoyed the work on my last blog post. I hope to put something new up once a month. Tell you dad to comment. So far you are the only one to leave a comment. Thank you and keep it up.

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Going Under
there is a hole
in my wall
water is coming in
through this hole

i am bailing
out the water
the best i can
both day and night
just to stay above
all of the water

the more i bail
the more water
seems to come in
like in a boat
in the middle
of a great lake

the water continues
to come in
i continue to bail

Steve Burkett
1-11-07

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Thunderbirds and Stardust
A little girl's dreams, an old man's memories.

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, back as far as the early Nineteen Seventies, in a beautiful place known as Sacramento, lived a little girl named Theresa. She lived there happily with her mother and her two uncles. Her uncle Steve and her uncle Tim loved her and she loved them very much. Her uncle Tim went off to visit this faraway place call El Monte. Her uncle Steve had an old Thunderbird that she loved to ride.

So Theresa and her uncle Steve rode the Thunderbird to this faraway place to help her uncle Tim. They flew over these high mountains at a place called the Grapevine Pass. The stars were so close that Theresa reached out and grabbed a handful of stardust, giggling all the while. Soon she fell asleep with the stardust in her hand. When she woke up, she rubbed her eyes with the hand that was full of stardust.

To this day, I can still see the stars in Theresa's eyes.

Steve Burkett

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Stinky
My cellmate Stinky is inconsiderate about his lack of hygiene or how much it disturbs those around him.

First, he is insensitive to all the discomfort his bed odors cause others. He's forever passing gas and laughs about it. He won't shower daily or even use soap when he does. I've never ever seen him brush his teeth. He never cleans up after himself, not even when he makes a large mess. He leaves his dirty smelly clothes laying around the cell and hanging off his bunk. He won't change his sheets and will not clean the sink after he has used it.

All he wants to do is lie around on his bunk sweating, waiting to die.

It is inconceivable that anyone could let themselves put off such a foul aroma and not do something about it.

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[Pencil drawing of a woman looking to the left. She is smiling.]
S. Burkett