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Prose of a Con

Poetry and Prose by Russell Wardlow

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No Words

December 2, 2019 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

The judge dropped the gavel

his throat full of gravel

but time froze

he felt hollow

he looked at his dad

he shook his head solemnly

couldn’t look at his mom

he knew it would break him seeing her cry

so his head held high

though his knees weakened

his mouth clenched

unable to speak

his face telling a lie

body beginning to shutter

hearing the words of his defeated mother

being her only son

she cried out that she loved him

but he could’t say it

gripped by her words

he tried to say it

he just couldn’t say that he loved her back

but only diction it inside his mind

seeing the imagery of those words

murky and running like his mother’s eyelner

but he thought he could muster a ‘bye’

but he stuttered

then stumbled

beyond the threshold of the door

and as the door shut

he finally broke down…

he was just sentenced to life

and he cried in his shackles like a baby

babies can’t talk, but their cries can still be. understood

and that day, that man became a baby and his cries told more than words ever could.

Filed Under: Culture, Inside, Love, Mercy, Spirit, Trauma

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Prose of a Con

Prose of a Con is a collection of Russell Wardlow’s prose and poetry written entirely behind bars. Through writings on family, spirituality, freedom, love, justice, redemption, and vulnerability, Russell seeks to show the humanity and hope of individuals like himself who are incarcerated.

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  • Hollow Symbols June 30, 2022

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