Poetry and Prose by Russell Wardlow
time has a mind of its own
or the mind has a time of its own
or its own has a presence of time
or a mind full of time
or a time for a mind
when’s the time for a mind?
it makes no never mind
because my mind has been imprisoned for quite some time
soooo
Time
is but a conception of the mind to perceive itself
or a perception of the Self to conceive the mind
either way
it’s an invention
drawing the line between the real and unreal
and my eyelids represent the veil
I’m told to be patient
there is a mastery to be claimed hence
but what is it called
for years watching others obtain
the otherwise of this fence
acquiring a freedom
I’ve been so anxious to get
and each time
I’ve yet to throw a fit
clearly, I’m as patient as one gets
unless it’s called insanity
to which, and to wits,
I admit
I’ve been ready
ready to die
ready to die all my life
now
that I’m finally ready
ready to live
life is killing me…
you have letters,
but I have numbers after my name
I have all the experience
to which your “expertise” claims
you can only express definitions
I recently heard a prisoner say,
“we invest in weapons of mass destruction
but not in the uplifting
of the lowest class of people”
slightly paraphrased
so the message can be clear
now reflect
…
has war-
its potential
and preparation-
become our sole identity?
what are we defending against
when we are mostly defending a fence
built to keep some out
and some in-
whether borders
or prisons-
or destroy those
with different worldviews
billions of dollars in aid given
to those unable to defend themselves
but America, I say to you
what about us
where is the investment in us
a handout, is not an investment
it is a crippling
it creates stagnation
and resentment
with the allusion and benefit
of rewarded ineptitude
creating competing class views
detaching the masses from the few
so the weapons of mass destruction
are really the lack of investment
in our urban locations,
schools, teachers,
jobs, women, and youth
institutionalization
is conformity
systems indoctrinate institutions
institutions administer people
systems classify organizations and organisms
people are organisms
people create organizations
people are products of systems
society is a system
prison is a system
just in case my intentions aren’t clear
society, you are institutionalized too
and I’m the prisoner
you seek to reform and adjust
from my imprisoned institutionalization
to cohabit an environment
and be blindly institutionalized like you
but if you can’t recognize it
maybe I should be less like you
instead of seen as
less than you
because clearly
at least one of us
as a more realistic
and developed, point of view
so, I know I am
but if you don’t realize that you are
then what are you?