• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Prose of a Con

Poetry and Prose by Russell Wardlow

  • Home
  • About
  • Prose
    • Culture
    • Inside
    • Love
    • Mercy
    • Spirit
    • Trauma
  • Listen
  • News
  • Connect
  • Support

Russell Wardlow

What’s Enough

July 2, 2020 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

She looks at me
hoping I’ll change my mind
but I’m imprisoned
she’s chasing time
I’ve stopped wasting time
Her fears, the same as mine
but she goes out of her way
and I stay in mine
I’m flawed, tried being the best I could be
but she wants more, she wants better…it’s praying time
she ACTS, as if she isn’t hurt
when I say my lines
so guilty conscience
AND shame, is mine
love changed her life
but love,
couldn’t save her time

Filed Under: Love

If Black Lives Matter

July 1, 2020 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

IF
BLACK LIVES MATTER
then WHY
after flashing lights
does a BLACK LIFE
FLATLINE AFTER?

IF
BLACK LIVES MATTER
then WHYYYY
after flashing lights
does a BLACK LIFE
FLATLINE AFTER?

IIIIFFFF!
BLACK LIVES MATTER
THEN WHY
AFTER FLASHING LIGHTS
MUST A BLACK LIFE
FLATLINE AFTER?!

Filed Under: Culture, Trauma

Fell for What

July 1, 2020 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

Scream when you fall
but on the way down
scream out why you fell
was it a free fall
or
were you pushed,
was it because of me
or
was it you,
was it in love
or
was it from pain
just make sure you let me know
so what ever the reason,
it wasn’t in vain

Filed Under: Love

Newfoundland

June 30, 2020 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

ashamed
because I tried to be
‘white’
at my best moments
then by default
‘black’
at my worst
ashamed
because I aspired
to be like white people
ashamed
because I aspired
to escape being a black man
lost
because when I hurt
nobody white understands me
some things only black people could understand
lost
because when I hurt
I feel black
only we, understand us
angry
because this world
influenced me to trust white people
more than my own people
happy
because I’m black at my best
and only getting better
because finally
I love my. black. self.

Filed Under: Culture, Love, Trauma

occupied freedom

June 29, 2020 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

there has been casualties
and fatalities
because this occupied illusive reality
was founded and liberated upon sustained brutalities
and pie in the sky fallacies
without consistent generational challenging
racism is likened to America’s first and longest lasting allergy
and its impact varies based on your color and salary

Filed Under: Culture, Mercy, Trauma

sadomasochists

June 28, 2020 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

America
People
why does it take inflicting pain
to stop you from inflicting pain
why does it take inflicting pain
to change the inflicted pain
and heal, the afflicted pain
or does it just feel too good to you

Filed Under: Culture, Mercy, Trauma

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 115
  • Go to page 116
  • Go to page 117
  • Go to page 118
  • Go to page 119
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 179
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

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.

Read More

  • Whose Mind is it Anyway June 30, 2022
  • Objects June 30, 2022
  • Same Thang, Different Name June 30, 2022
  • Optical Ill-lusions June 30, 2022
  • Hollow Symbols June 30, 2022

Themes

  • Culture
  • Inside
  • Love
  • Mercy
  • Spirit
  • Trauma
  • Uncategorized

Footer

Prose of a Con

Prose of a Con is sponsored by giveabeat.org

  • Instagram

Navigation

  • Home
  • About
  • Prose
  • Listen
  • News
  • Connect
  • Support

Themes

  • Culture
  • Inside
  • Love
  • Mercy
  • Spirit
  • Trauma
  • Uncategorized

Prose of a Con © 2026 · web design by Studio Lyko