Spring is in full swing and we hope wherever you are you are enjoying the longer days and more hours of day light. Spring break, Spring cleaning or Spring fever! Wherever you are we just hope that you are not suffering with too many Spring allergies because all the flowers and trees are in bloom and pollen is blowing through the air. We hope this Spring propels you to spring forward in your life. We hope you enjoy this issue and OT is back again to share his take on one of the weekly topics. Welcome back to another double
Continue ReadingYear: 2026
A Solid Moral Compass
-Ryder, San Francisco I would love to one day be a father. It’s something that I have thought about a ton, but not something that I want for myself yet. Before I have a kid, I’d like to be in a much more stable and comfortable financial situation, as well of course to be on the outside. I am blessed to have been raised by both of my parents together, and I’d like to do the same when I have a child. My parents instilled a solid work ethic in me, as well as a solid moral compass and a
Continue ReadingThat Crumpled Piece Of Paper
-Fiji, San Quentin State Prison I sat there and stared at the crumpled piece of paper laying on the sidewalk. I couldn’t help but wonder how many people walked by that discarded piece of paper without even noticing that not even a foot away sits a trash can. After some time sitting there, I stood up and did something that anybody could have done, but up until then, nobody chose to do. A thought enters my mind. I was like a crumpled piece of paper before, a problem child, a headache, troublemaker, people looking at me like a crumpled paper.
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Volume 31.17/18
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingEd Note 31.17/18
We welcome back you readers to another double dose edition of the one and only The Beat Within. We are the only magazine putting out a double issue every other week. It’s the only magazine where you’re allowed to tell your stories, your truths in a safe space. It’s OT back again tasked with bringing you some words of inspiration and wisdom. As always there were a lot of great topics, but I’ll go with the one that puts a smile to my face, and that’s the topic on smile. There’s a lot of reasons to smile in life and
Continue ReadingMy Mother
-Mighty Mouse, Marin There are many words out there to describe my best friend. Actually, there isn’t enough words to describe my best friend. My best friend is smart, sweet, caring, loving, beautiful, and so much more. I could tell that person everything and anything. I’ve known my best friend for seventeen years. I love going on hikes or to zoos or amusement parks with her. As long as I’m with my best friend, I’m happy. I hope to have my best friend for the rest of my life. My best friend is my mother. Take advantage of your mom
Continue ReadingSee Me For Who I Am
-Phillip, San Quentin State Prison I find it funny in a way, when I think about who takes care of me all these years in prison, which is going on fourteen years now. So, there was a time when I first came to prison, I had this expectation that my people in the free world were going to put money on my books and send me packages. At the same time, I wasn’t doing anything for myself. As you can imagine I became a burden to my family, and the money and packages dried up fast. I had to figure
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Volume 31.15/16
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingEd Note 31.15/16
We welcome back you readers to another double dose edition of the one and only The Beat Within. We are the only magazine putting out a double issue every other week. It’s the only magazine where you’re allowed to tell your stories, your truths in a safe space. It’s OT back again tasked with bringing you some words of inspiration and wisdom. There were some really great topics this week and it was really tough having to pick just one, but I think I will go with the one that moves me the most. “There are two kinds of worries
Continue ReadingWanting Change
-Zayy Sleeze, San Mateo “There are two kinds of worries: those you can do something about and those you can’t.” Duke Ellington I’m a big over thinker. I often catch myself worried about things I cannot control or change. I do this because I want things to go as planned. Yet, everything always goes wrong for me. I want my life to be better, but I’m always stuck in the middle of something. I feel like I have a lot of weight on my shoulders. I want to change, but I just can’t. I want to give my son a
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