Amika Mota

That's what keeps me going every day.

I feel strong and I know we will all be okay.

I could see their face.

I could see their faces.

I could smell them.

I could feel their skin and their hair.

That's what I would miss, you know?

On my bunk, head phoned up, there was a picture of my youngest.

It was like a close-up shot of her face and just all her little freckles on her nose.

I would just kiss that picture and stare at her little freckles.

I knew I was really close to being able to see my kids and hold them and hug them and, you know, in person.

Like you can't just go be, you can't just be.

It's always, they want something.

Um,

Like, no, fuck you, you can't get your wash slot today because you looked at me funny.

There was one guy on the yard that was, you know, one of those ones that he was not horrible, but he was just really kind of a dick by the book.

I was getting ready to go in the shower, so I had my shower shoes on and a muumuu.

There was this old woman that was a porter.

And she was very old, like probably 70-something, just very old and frail.

And it's hard to even watch her work in prison.