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Introducing

Paul, 61

Incarcerated:
20 years
Housed:
San Quentin Rehabilitation Center
Located in
San Quentin, California
A man with a white beard and glasses holding a portrait of himself wearing a 'G. W. Young' cap.
January 6, 2022July 3rd, 20252 min read

I am a prisoner, a pauper, a poet, a painter and an author. I am a father and a son. My life is more than half over.

It feels like I was born here in this cage, and when I die it will be my mausoleum. Life is a play. We play many parts, when the curtain is drawn, what will it all mean? Peace is a process, not an acquisition. Hear me, I am the silent one, the one you cannot see, then I shall fade away. Think before you feel. Be careful, life is full of negative emotions.

Breathe!

Body And Soul

Is love a desire and lust a need?
Is lust a desire and love a need?
The body has needs
The heart has capacity

Control of one is possible,
But are both?
Or is all truly illusion?
Do we control anything at all?

Love we cannot demand
It must be given freely
Yet we can open out hearts to love
Though to love is not always wise

Lust demands a payment from the soul
Love rarely remains unbroken
When all is done
When life and love and lust are through
Only death remains

Life and Death are opposites
Are Love and Lust?
Death knows no weakness
Only Purpose

A landscape painting of dark, rocky mesas under a blue sky, framed in wood with artist initials JR and DC5 at the bottom.
A painting of a face with sunglasses reflecting a landscape, wearing a dark hat with a small red object, signed P. Stauffer.
A painting of stylized trees with intricate leaf patterns against a blue and yellow sky with swirling clouds.
Three fantasy characters stand before a stone castle: a blonde knight with a bow, a warrior in a red cape holding a glowing orb, and a skeleton in a black cloak with a sword.
A portrait of a woman with reddish-blonde hair in a blue dress, holding a brown cat against a green background.
A pheasant with its tail fanned out stands in a field, observed by a dog and a fox.
A painting of two young girls with blonde hair sitting together on a yellow surface against a blue background.
A painting of a stone church on a hill with mountains in the background.
A painting of two young girls with blonde hair in white clothing, one standing and one sitting, outdoors by a body of water.
A watercolor painting of a snowy landscape featuring a tall silo, a white barn, and several houses under bare trees.
A person in a blue shirt sits at a desk, looking at a large, glowing white screen displaying the word 'IMPRESSION' in various fonts and orientations.
A golden dragon with large wings flies above a body of water where three figures in meditation sit on lotus flowers.
A portrait of Jesus Christ with long brown hair and a beard, rendered in a textured, painterly style.
A framed painting of Jesus Christ with a red hood and white robe, his hands outstretched, set against a golden halo and a dark landscape.
A watercolor portrait of Jesus Christ with a halo, featuring dark hair, a beard, and a solemn expression.
A portrait of Jesus Christ with long hair and a beard, wearing a white robe, positioned above a smaller image of a figure in a brown robe.
A framed botanical illustration of several blue scabious flowers with green stems on a white background.
A woman in a white robe stands before a fireplace, adjusting a painting. The room is decorated with candles, flowers, and framed pictures on the walls.
A painting of three figures in a cave with a waterfall, illuminated by a vertical beam of light.
Close-up of a green and blue reptilian creature's face with large, detailed eyes and a sharp, white nose horn.
A hooded figure with a white beard sits in meditation, holding a lit candle that casts a glow on the dark background.
A framed drawing of a cluster of dark, multi-peaked houses with glowing yellow windows against a cloudy sky.
A painting of a woman in a blue dress sitting in a chair, holding a white object, against a yellow wall with a floral pattern.
A small sailboat with white sails navigates turbulent blue waves under a dramatic, dark stormy sky.
A woman in historical Dutch attire stands in a room, reaching towards a bed where a person is lying down.
A painting of a red brick building with large windows and a person sitting on a bench in front.

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