MAPPING THE CITY: DC Places, Part II Jade Foster   JESSUP/ A POEM TO PRISON i refuse to write another poem to prison yes i refuse to write another poem to prison where my father lives is too far my father lives too far away my dreams don't reach him in the middle the middle of the night, he's too far to hear to hear me to read me to sleep my father lives too far away and my letters can't reach him my letters miss teeth and sail. i refuse i refuse to write another poem to prison a poem that corners me into just black girl, when really my name is his. the letters write him in my room he is a phonic phantom and i sound his shape out with my pencil he is on the other side of the bed after a nightmare, the letters write... write him in my day a glyphic kiss to his cheek after school he is cooking potatoes and pepper in the kitchen. i read him the poems that i wrote in school. he is proud as red, but he leaves, again i refuse to write another poem to prison. the words they taunt me and boomerang back in my lap.   Jade Foster is a poet, teacher, and editor of the online journal Cereus Arts.   Published in Volume 11, Number 4, Fall 2010.