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Prose of a Con

Poetry and Prose by Russell Wardlow

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Expendable

June 9, 2021 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

is not life worth living for?
then why hast thou punished my effort
fore I have been
as nature has nurtured me to become
a hunter
void of a gatherer
therefore I did
with what I had
and created opportunity to live
since chance was seldom provided
but you call me criminal
because I defied your ever-changing rules
well, riddle me this

who am I?
unapologetic rebel
relentless revolutionary
resilient seeker
radical resolve

where am I?
excluded
secluded
isolated

what am I?
alienated
cast out
black sheep
scapegoat

why am I?
because everyone
doesn’t fit the big picture
the servers or served
though to give service worth
there must be a service to work
this is a life-sentenced I was served at birth
by prejudices that cheapened my worth

now how can this still be,
in the land of the free?
‘I don’t know, you tell me…’

Filed Under: Inside, 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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  • Optical Ill-lusions June 30, 2022
  • Hollow Symbols June 30, 2022

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