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Prose of a Con

Poetry and Prose by Russell Wardlow

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Black Lives Matter?

August 3, 2020 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

It’s hard to remind black people

That their lives matter

So when it comes to each other

They engage in self hate

Expressed outwardly as violence

Because our world has not created

A reality where black is not a weaponized concept

Our consciousness is conditioned

To perpetuate the hate against ourselves

That has been acted out against us

And so we lash out at the mirror

Which results in drug abuse

And gun violence

That only makes the world say, “see?”

But they don’t see

Because they’ve all been complicit

In our self destruction

Gentrification, redlining, gerrymandering

Disproportionate education, funding, healthcare, job opportunities, imprisonment

Oh and the media images of our aggression

Which only teach fear

I can actively protest my immediate oppressors onslaught

While I lose sight of the oppressor above them-

Pulling both our strings

Black lives matter

But I don’t feel I matter

…and I’m black

Filed Under: Culture, Love

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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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