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Prose of a Con

Poetry and Prose by Russell Wardlow

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programmed to fail

May 8, 2020 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

we live with these statistics
alive the moment we’re born
we live by
believe
and we succumb to these statistics that set the bar-
our bar-
a bar too low to limbo
and so we fall
and stay down
because rising seems so far up
therefore, impossible
as if getting your footing on mud atop a sheet of ice
these statistics name problems
we become the problems
and all problems get judged
then punished
where that statistic,
gets reinforced
and proven
and so we succeed…
in failing
then we arrive at the mansion of All statistics
where people we long since seen
appear
now this mansion,
becomes a reunion
a block party of sorts
with familiar faces, hiding their pains
to make you feel comfortable
inside the new home of your misery
because misery loves company
and company gets comfortable…too comfortable
but when we leave the mansion
if we leave…
we leave out, the same age we came in
and the world long since has aged
and we are again uncomfortable
but misery loves company
and you keep the company you know
so we’ll succumb to that statistical label again
and again, unconsciously programmed
programmed to do nothing more
to be nothing more
but that statistic
and so to the mansion you’ll find yourself
where the world looks familiar
and comfortable again
where the limbo is at your feet
and you finally feel above something

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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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