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Prose of a Con

Poetry and Prose by Russell Wardlow

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Trauma

In Your Own Way

February 10, 2020 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

It’s hard to live a dream

when comfort what you reaching for

its hard to know love

when all you know is keeping score

its hard to see the grey

when you only believe in ‘either, or’

its hard to seize the day

when everybody sleeping lord..

Filed Under: Culture, Inside, Spirit, Trauma

You Don’t Know

February 10, 2020 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

You don’t know what it took for me,

to not be the man you don’t see

then to be the man that u see

you don’t know what I had to go thru,

to not be the man that I was

tho it wasn’t me

you don’t know how hard it is to sleep at night,

to dream the dreams that I dream

even tho they ain’t dreams

you don’t know how hard it is to look at you

and wonder what do you see

and if it’s really me?

Filed Under: Culture, Inside, Trauma

exposed

February 10, 2020 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

Vanity stripped
my depth finally revealed
and all I’ve become
is my skeletons…
but
no more hiding
no more closets
no more caves
no more cases
no more cages
no more spying
no more eyeing
no more eyes
no more crying
no more nostrils
can’t be nosy
no more lying
no more ears
no more noises
no more mouth
no more voices
no more mind
no one minds
no more choices
paranoia comes and goes
but that’s just ghosts
you have no choice
we all have woes
just skeletons wearing clothes

Filed Under: Spirit, Trauma

in an instance

February 9, 2020 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

How can you give me advice
but don’t know how I feel
you don’t know how I feel
you don’t know how it feels!
I’m edgy…
my toes are a weapon
I’m standing on ledges
tried understanding the death of a legend
just give me a second…
…
banging my head
while I swallow Excedrin
stalking an exit
talking is dreaded
I fear that the people who know me will know where I’m headed
they’ll know where my head is
depressed and suppressing my stress
that may manifest
more than distress
maybe by morning they all ‘ll’be mourning my sketch
don’t volunteer me a medic
whose less sympathetic
numb because to all of the people they see that regretted
just seeking attention
blood seeped from their wrist from the pain they inflicted
or pumping their stomach too full with prescription
you tell me the difference!
of making decisions
for when you’re done living
versus tragedies that take you out in an instance
fallen heroes…
they make do when they have a chance
they make you believe you have a chance
and that you can do anything with that chance
now all I ever wanted was just a chance
but imagine my circumstance
when my hero… was martyred by chance
what is the point of a plan
if your destiny’s stripped from your hands
losing control of the moments
that you’ve always honed in advance
I guess we only own the moment
because nothing is known in advance
likening death to a date,
hoping that when we go out-
we’ll have love holding our hand

Filed Under: Spirit, Trauma

Harder than you see

February 8, 2020 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

You look at me now
think its easy huh?
I hurt all the time
you wouldn’t believe it
couldn’t give you truth in person
so I wrote it down
those things too hard to swallow
you feel going down
I struggle with some battles
could I ever tell you?
I can’t say the next line
I’m still wondering if I will ever tell you

Filed Under: Trauma

stand out

February 8, 2020 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

Life is a box
everybody tries to fit in
but if you stand out
you can see that they’re all squares,
time doesn’t stop
no point in trying to blend in
so if you stand out
you can see that they’re all scared
remember looking at the sky
when I was like, what’s the point?
now I’m reaching for the sky,
like I’m held up at gunpoint
you gotta have faith
to manifest your fate
you gotta be brave
there’s some fears u gotta face
no one can make your dreams for you
but if u let them…
they can all take your dreams from you

Filed Under: Spirit, 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.

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

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  • Trauma
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