"Impromptu Call and Response Between a Hostage and Two Inmates Who Saved Each Other During the Attica Prison Rebellion of 1971" by Paul David Adkins

Impromptu Call and Response Between a Hostage and Two Inmates Who Saved Each Other During the Attica Prison Rebellion of 1971

Michael Smith, Hostage Don Noble, Inmate Carl Reighn, Inmate

I know we broke the rules,

but friends are friends are friends.

We have not forgotten, will not forget,

the time we were just men

in this inhuman place together

You both saved your life twice.

I saved mine in return.

The metal shop was ransacked. We hid you.

Inmates were charging with shovels.

You both tried to sneak you out,

got caught but, hey, you were

worth the effort. Men don’t forget men.

At least, we all don’t.

Paul David Adkins

Paul David Adkins (he / him) served in the US Army from 1991-2013. He holds an M.A. in Writing and Oral Tradition from The Graduate Institute, Bethany, CT. He counsels soldiers and teaches students in a correctional facility. Publications include Barzakh, The Mark, Crab Creek Review, Kissing Dynamite, Badwater, and Spillway.

Headshot: Paul David Adkins

Photo Credit: Staff