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Prose of a Con

Poetry and Prose by Russell Wardlow

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Should I take the Floor?

April 22, 2021 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

how much do I have to speak,
for you to listen
or how silent must I be
to get you to listen
and what would you take my silence for?
an asylum of solace,
or an insane asylum?

they say silence speaks volumes
sometimes silence takes Valium
but of which volume,
will you perceive from?

one of submission?
as in accepting defeat and wrongness,
rendering words worthless
and a point, dominated and unlearned

one of omission?
where passivity proves to be safest
an ongoing state of being unheard
helping you to fly under the radar
avoiding pressurized detection,
and social defection

one of permission?
needing to ask for the time of day
seeking approval in the words you have
and the words you say?

or one of emission?
emission of truth and opinion
or the remission into falsities and adherence
adherence to voicelessness
summoning words,
yet the very words spoken,
not being of your own
but that of another’s, for their comfort
all the while adhering to the persistence of discomfort

will you ever listen?
will you ever shut your opinions the fuck up?!

so I don’t have to always seem like the angry guy
with every passive or assertive attempt unrecognized
only known now for aggressiveness
aggression sparked by you
harmed by your attacks on my voice and truth

refusing to unlearn, to learn more
while forcing me into an ominous silent squander,
never comfortable, never sure
if what I have to say
is being heard, or ignored

and so again, I become silent
or silenced, once more
because of your refusal,
to offer me the floor

Filed Under: Culture, 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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