Welcome Home, they say with a cold, hard stare
As they strip you down and search you bare
Your personal effects cataloged away
In a storage basket, just another day
In an orange jumpsuit, with cheap black high tops
You shower and are sprayed with pesticide drops
Your head and genitals, now smelling of vinegar
As you fill out a questionnaire, feeling like a prisoner
Vital signs taken, blood is drawn
What will they find from the substances you\'ve drawn?
Your DNA now part of a nationwide database
A part of the system, feeling trapped in this place
Bedding and toiletries, a small comfort for the night
As you\'re escorted to your pod, your new home in sight
Assigned to a cell or a yoga mat on the floor
In this world of concrete and metal, what are you here for?
Welcome Home, they say with a hollow tone
As you sit and wonder, feeling completely alone
Is this the price to pay for a life of mistakes?
Or can you find redemption behind these cold steel gates?
Welcome Home, a bitter irony in these walls
As you try to find a way to rise above it all
A prison of your own making, or a system\'s cruel hand
Either way, it\'s a steep climb to find solid ground
Welcome Home, a place where you\'re just a number
But deep down, you long to break from this slumber
To find a way to reclaim your life, your soul
And turn this place of confinement into a place that\'s whole. (\"Welcome Home\") by Courtney Weaver Jr.