Prison Poetry Exchange: Starting a Shared Poem Project

Poetry has long been a way for people to carve out space for grief, hope, memory, and joy. Inside prison walls, where so much is monitored, muted, or denied, poetry becomes an act of survival. For couples and loved ones separated by incarceration, it can also become a bridge—one built from words.

A shared poetry project between you and your incarcerated partner or friend is more than creative writing. It’s a way to speak from the heart when the world won’t let you speak freely. It’s collaborative, intimate, and healing.

Why Shared Poetry?

Because it slows you down. Because it gives both of you space to reflect and respond. Because it allows for vulnerability when you can’t hold each other, and honesty when silence might otherwise win.

You don’t need to be a “poet.” You just need to feel something.

How to Start a Shared Poem Exchange

1. Decide on the structure.
One of the easiest ways to begin is with alternating stanzas. You write a few lines, send them in a letter, and your loved one adds their stanza in return.

You can agree on a theme or let it evolve naturally.
You can respond line-for-line or keep it fluid.
You can cap it at 3–4 rounds or let it continue indefinitely.

2. Include a prompt or guiding question.
If your loved one needs a place to start, include something like:

“Let’s each write about what hope feels like.”
“What does it mean to be free in your mind?”
“If we could meet in a dream, what would it look like?”

3. Establish a tone.
Let them know: This is not a test. It doesn’t have to rhyme. It can be messy, raw, quiet, or furious. The only goal is honesty.

4. Keep everything.
Date your pages. Number them. Copy them before sending if you can. These are artifacts of your story.

Sample Prompts for a Shared Poem

Write a poem together titled “The Fence Between Us.”
Choose a season and describe what it feels like from each side of the wall.
Use this line to start: “Some days I hold your silence like a stone.”
Create a love poem that never uses the word “love.”
Reflect on this question: “What would you say if time didn’t interrupt us?”

A Shared Poem Example

Here’s a sample created for this post, imagining alternating stanzas between a free-world partner and someone inside:

You (Outside):
I plant letters like seeds in the mailbox soil,
Hoping your hands find them whole.
They carry the quiet parts of me—
The ones I don’t name out loud.

Them (Inside):
I open each word like a cracked door,
Letting light spill across the floor of my cell.
Your voice is ink, but I hear it breathing.
It tells me I’m still someone worth knowing.

You:
Tell me what the stars look like through bars.
I’ll tell you how cold the bed feels when you’re gone.
We’ll build a home of metaphors
Until we can build a real one.

Real Poetry to Share and Reflect On

You might also include existing poems in your letters to inspire each other. Here are a few selections that have resonated with incarcerated readers and their loved ones:

“Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou
A powerful poem of defiance and dignity.

“Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.”

“Love After Love” by Derek Walcott
A beautiful piece about returning to oneself after loss.

“You will love again the stranger who was your self.”

“If They Come in the Morning” by Angela Y. Davis
A poetic call to action and solidarity.

You can find many of these through Poetry Foundation or Poets.org.

A Few Gentle Rules for Sharing

Be respectful of their boundaries. If your loved one is not emotionally ready to write back, that’s okay.
Avoid grading or correcting. This is not about grammar.
Ask permission before sharing poems with others. This project is sacred.
If you’re mailing poems, use plain formatting. Avoid stickers, glued items, or anything that could be rejected.

Final Thoughts

Creating something together—even in fragments—is an act of intimacy.

A shared poem is a space where two voices can co-exist. It becomes a conversation that holds memory, emotion, and connection. It becomes something no gate can confiscate.

If you’re looking for more creative ways to connect, the Couples Communication Guidebook includes space for expression, reflection, and prompts designed for long-distance love. You can even tuck your shared poems into the pages and build your own anthology.

Whether it’s one line or a thousand, start where you are. Because sometimes, poetry is just another word for surviving together.