Kenneth "Thunder" Nowlin - Expressing Thoughts and Feelings through Art & Poetry from San Quentin death row

Kenneth Nowlin ("Thunder") Artist & Poet - death row San Quentin

Kenneth "Thunder" Nowlin has been incarcerated on death row San Quentin since 2001 and is currently in the Infirmary where he has been experimenting with writing poetry on top of brightly painted coloured backgrounds.  He also incorporates outlines of his hands and his finger prints. Thunder tells of how he "grew up in the system".  Before being sentenced to death, he was incarcerated for six years in the CYA (Youth Prison).  He was sentenced to death whilst serving time in prison for robbery.  By his own self admission he used to be a racist, but he renounced his racist ways in 2011, and he completely cut ties with the gang he had been a part of. He shifted his focus to family and inner peace. Thunder now expresses himself through his writing and art and combines the two to create colourful emotional collages of his feelings.   Raw and hard hitting you can read some of them below.  The first poem "Suicide" was inspired by Jay Cole the Rapper, who stopped outside Thunder's cell and challenged him to write a rap and to step out of his comfort zone.   Jay and Thunder spoke for about ten minutes whilst he was on a tour of the prison. 

Suicide
​A poem by Kenneth "Thunder" Nowlin

Suicide - by Kenneth "Thunder" Nowlin

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Suicide
by Kenneth "Thunder" Nowlin 

Suicide 

Suicide is alive inside of me,
Telling me to leave my body behind me,
Step away from a world that hurts,
Step out into the Universe.

   Sadistically twisted
   some say I'm tripping
   on their grave I'll be pissing
   and they'll be wishing
   that they never set eyes on me
   cause even God despises me
   ostracised by society
   fuck them sheep
   spoon fed lies and hypocrisies
   and that is why

Suicide is alive inside of me
Telling me to leave my body behind me
Step out into the Universe
Step away from a world that hurts.

"Suicide is Alive Inside of me.  Telling me to leave my body behind me. Step out into the Universe. Step out of a world that hurts" - Kenneth Nowlin

Full of Life
by Kenneth "Thunder" Nowlin

"Full of Life" - by Kenneth Nowlin "Thunder"

 Full of Life  

What is in the future of our fate?
And who knows the answers to our questions?
Will every dreary day be the same ol same?
Full of mankind's deceptions and relentless, devilish receptions.
Must men always be full of folly? Cant he be true, just one time?
Why must he always lie, and why must the noble, and true, be the first to always die?
The Universe works in mysterious ways, but I know this, call upon it by name
and acknowledge its true power and there sits your God on his throne, hour upon hour.
There lies your heaven, in the vast universe, in the stars, where mankind can travel.
There just light years away from a find of significance, right now they're all baffled.
But here on earth we struggle, we strive to be better men than we are.
Even in prison we battle our own demons to be free of self-harm.
For we're our own worst enemies when it comes to that, but it's got to stop!
All it does is cause grief, bloodshed and ultimately death, and I'll end up somewhere hot,
most likely somewhere hot and Im not cool with that, so hear me now, demons be gone from me.
Demons beware, for Im far more than mere man. Im Thunder, and will defeat you at every turn if I can.
so be gone now, you devilish, despicable, little worms and just like that be free of em
by choosing to be, that's the power of free will, when the Universe backs your play.
For Im not ready to die. Im too full of life, full of wonderful glorious love.
And that my friends is all Ive got to say on this April day!

"For Im not ready to die. I'm too full of life, full of wonderful glorious love." - Kenneth "Thunder" Nowlin

For a while, Thunder was in the neighbouring cell to Charles Manson and Thunder says it was Charles who helped him turn his back on racism.  He became good friends with Manson. 

The Mirror
​by Kenneth "Thunder" Nowlin

The Mirror - by Kenneth "Thunder" Nowlin

The Mirror 

When you look in the mirror, who do you see?
Do you see the man you want to be,
Or do you see a tortured soul in custody to the dark side
And you're just counting down the days until you die?
Well this I have to say to you, stand on your own.
If you do and be true and be true and be beholden to no-one, you'll sit on your own throne.
You'll be Kind and run your own life with no demons or skeletons in your closet.
Your life will be so better and fresher and lighter.
So go forth my friends and your lives will be so much brighter.
Be strong, take no shit from no-one and hold your head up.
And remember, you wasn't lost, for good, you just needed a little tune up,
A reality check, but you're all good now. 
Create a solid foundation.
Quit being fooled by others' pretty words and come to truth, with your own realisation.

"And remember, you wasn't lost, for good, you just needed a little tune up" - Kenneth "Thunder" Nowlin

Discontent
​by Kenneth "Thunder" Nowlin

Discontent - by Kenneth "Thunder" Nowlin

Discontent 

My soul weeps tears of discontent
My body aches from breaks pain has lent
I never expected nor wished for life to settle up karma's scores
Treacherous deeds I've done indeed
Darkness entered my mind planted its seed
Blood I've spilt like child's milk entered this once gentle being.
Here I am with nothing to lose in this concrete steel room.
yet regret sets in for my vile whims, with myself it's hard to live.
What happened to the boy so full of joy who loved life and knew wrong from right?
What happened to the man who looks at his hands knowing he chose the wrong fight?
Is it too late to change my path.... and avoid guilty wrath?
A virus spreads leaving parts of me dead. 
Oh how the fate of life have sealed me in misery's bath.

"What happened to the boy so full of joy who loved life and knew wrong from right?
What happened to the man who looks at his hands knowing he chose the wrong fight?" - Kenneth "Thunder" Nowlin

What is?
by Kenneth "Thunder" Nowlin

What is? by Kenneth "Thunder" Nowlin

What is?

What is?
​
What is death but another phase of life
And is it any worse than our daily strife?

What is life but tragic circumstances pre-ordained
Submitting ourselves to constant and unbearable pain.

What is joy but a simple yet unreachable hope
Catching glimpses like a telescope.

What is depression but an unwanted friend
With an endless supply of it to lend.

What is love but an illusion
Just a break from agony momentarily pacifying the sadness in me

What is happiness but an addicting and all consuming ideal
Always sacrificing for the precious moments you can steal.

What is it that helps us carry on?
Continuing the sadness of life's torturous song.

Is it the fact that some day someone will love me?
Or that misery loves company?

What is the meaning of life?
And do I have what it takes to survive?

WHAT IS?

It's the question of the unknown
Without an answer all we have it hope.

"What is joy but a simple yet unreachable hope - catching glimpses like a telescope." - Kenneth "Thunder" Nowlin

If you would like to purchase Thunder's work you can find it on our etsy site SanQuentinArt