Jimmy Santaiago Baca's life was no walk in the park to say the least. As a child, he was born in Santa Fe of Chicano and Apache descent. At age thirteen, his parents had already abandoned him which resulted in his escape from the orphanage where his grandmother had placed him and was convicted of drug charges which landed him six years in prison. That is where Baca's love for writing poetry began. According to Frederick Luis Aladama from Melus, "in Baca's early poems, his already exceptional lyrical voice speaks out against the dehumanizing conditions of prison life" (Aladama). A few of the poems written by Baca are "What is Broken is What God Blesses", "I Am Offering this Poem", "Who Understands Me but Me", and "Ancestor". Baca has been criticized for writing about his rage and desolation in prison; but I believe that Baca was simply using rich imagery and lyrical language to deal with spiritual rebirth and triumph over tragedy.
             Growing up surrounded by walls, no water, and no sunshine was the norm for Baca. He could have easily let the harsh environment of prison consume him, but however he took the road less traveled and let every little thing fuel him. He has written some of the most astounding poems about overcoming the environments, and living with pain and hate in prison. In Baca's poem "Who Understands Me but Me", Baca explained the harsh environment in prison and how he followed these signs to come to the conclusion of using the word "beautiful" to describe the prison. For example, Baca states "they turn the water off, so I live without water, they build walls higher, so I live without treetops, they paint the windows black, so I live without sunshine" (Baca). It is no surprise that Baca needed dedication to follow these signs to teach himself to live without water, sunshine, and interaction without other people. According to Rya...