Notes from Exile: Children
Log/Verse: daily reflections from prison, written every morning at my bunk. Part poem, part log book.
In this week’s Justice Notes, I wrote about how punishment spreads beyond the individual.
This poem lives in that aftermath.
CHILDREN
They’re the signposts of my
failure,
and the epicenter of my
self-loathing.
Television commercials terrify
me.
Their smiles and happy
endings,
lure me despite their
cons.
They’re seeds of my desperate
confessional,
and an almost permanent
undoing.
For readers interested in longer reflections on justice, incarceration, and exile, my essays are linked here at Minutes Before Six..
If this piece resonated with you, consider sharing it or leaving a comment. To support this work and help spread awareness about justice reform for white-collar defendants, subscribe to White-Collar Journal and stay connected. John DiMenna is a member of the White Collar Support Group.
To leave a comment, Substack may ask you to verify your email address (a one-time step to prevent spam). You don’t need to subscribe or create an account. Just check your inbox for a one-time link.

