Notes from Exile: Grief
Log/Verse: daily reflections from prison, written every morning at my bunk. Part poem, part log book.
Another excerpt from my prison journal, written while I was still incarcerated
A DIFFERENT KIND OF GRIEF
Crossing over from the sleep that holds the secrets, I’m confronted by a different kind of grief. Not death, lifes regular order, but my lost life still playing out in dark background, retracing and revising all those turning points and crossroads that know the secrets, revealing themselves only in dreams of ambiguous code. All the epiphanies that wakeful promises disappoint, leading me back at the end of the day, to that uncomfortable sleep and its terrifying nocturnal reels.
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.

