A Prison gets to be a friend — The Count of Monte Cristo

A Prison gets to be a friend－¹
Between its Ponderous face
And Ours－a Kinsmanship express－
And in its narrow Eyes－

We come to look with gratitude ⁵
For the appointed Beam
It deal us－stated as our food－
And hungered for－the same－

We learn to know the Planks－⁹
That answer to Our feet－
So miserable a sound－at first－
Nor ever now－so sweet－

As plashing in the Pools－¹³
When Memory was a Boy－
But a Demurer Circuit－
A Geometric Joy－

The Posture of the Key ¹⁷
That interrupt the Day
To Our Endeavor－Not so real
The Check of Liberty－

As this Phantasm Steel－²¹
Whose features－Day and Night－
Are present to us－as Our Own－
And as escapeless－quite－

The narrow Round－the Stint－²⁵
The slow exchange of Hope－
For something passiver－Content
Too steep for lookinp up－

The Liberty we knew ²⁹
Avoided－like a Dream－
Too wide for any Night but Heaven－
If That－indeed－redeem－

(F.456/J.652)

[1–4] Prison, friend, ours:: Edmond Dantes and Abbe Faria.
[5–8] We, Beam, the same:: they both hungered for freedom.
[9] Planks:: supports in their tunnerl.
[10] Our feet:: their progess (length) of digging for fifteen months.
[13–16] Memory, Joy:: Faria's memory was his joy in prison.
[25, 26] narrow Round, exchange:: Dantes switched with Faria in his body bag.
[28] Too steep for looking up:: a thirty-six pound iron ball was tied to Dantes' feet, and the guards threw the body bag from a cliff to sea, so that no one could find the body.
[29, 30] Liberty, like a Dream:: Dantes' escape was like a dream.