Poem "ANGELIC TEMPEST" by Imprisoned Poet, Donald "C-Note" Hooker, Was Delivered at Defy Venture's 2018 Commencement Address

Angelic Tempest

I feel from grace

at least from Man’s

Not from His grace

I guess the plan

The prism

from prison

Is birds don’t fly

Not jailbirds

there’s no wind

beneath their wings

But infused with spirit

when someone saw my worth

To be more

than a dirt of Earth

You were the wind

beneath my wings

Now my imagination soars

with greater possibilities

That my life could give meaning

to the world

by Donald C-Note Hooker

"This is an odd piece of poetry," says C-Note. "A youngest in here was asking around did anybody know poetry, and I told him do," He told me he was looking for something to present/give to a mentor at this program he was in. At the time, having outside people coming in to mentor us was a brand new thing around here. So his request I had perceived in multiple ways, because the recipient of this poem was of the opposite gender. In here, such a poetic gesture could be seen from multiple points of view, most of them are negative. So I'm walking a tightrope here, what to say that sounds appreciative, not sexual, but has emotional vigor. And that's that piece, Angelic Tempest. Little did I know I would need it for being in a similar situation with a great woman as a mentor and educator, and yes, it packs an emotional punch. But Angelic Tempest is a story that can be told to any person, male or female, who is coming behind these prison walls, and is adding clarity and a vision to our lives. Prison doesn't induce vision and if it does, the right vision, usually there are no resources to get us trained-up to execute that vision. Defy Ventures with it's "Career Readiness" program and entrepreneurial training offers up to any imprisoned man or woman a vision, that is rooted in a foundation of support. And that's why I delivered it to a room full of prisoner family members, educators, CEOs, and venture capitalist, as they truly, are the wind beneath a jailbird's wings."

[Editor's Note] Donald C-Note Hooker is an imprisoned poet, playwright, performing artist,an award winning visual artist, and the King of Prison Hip Hop. His works have either been exhibited, performed, or sold, from Alcatraz to Berlin. In 2017, Google Search results listed him as both America's and the world's most prolific Prisoner-Artist