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Prose of a Con

Poetry and Prose by Russell Wardlow

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Trauma

Prison Door

January 26, 2020 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

you!

I know your truth

I live inside your labyrinth of secrets

clever the walls you’ve set up to hide

yea you withhold just as much guilt from innocence as I

projecting your cloak of iniquities upon the labelled and lesser

self righteous in your makeup

you pretend to be this line of salvation and wreckage

this boundary between good and evil

a line of scrimmage for justice and criminals

protecting those that have been wronged

by the wrong

as if they too were never wronged

though you are built on this standard of correction

but more like a base line of opposition

the wars going on outside of you

are just as bad as the ones going on inside of you

but the world inside of you

is but a microcosm of the world outside of you

pretending to be this barrier between the civilized

and the savages

protecting the priveleged

from the indigent

facading as a moral platitude of righteousness

keeping the harmed safe from harmony

though the idea of you erects itself high above reproach

your moral compass has long since been broken

mirroring the fragmented sounds that occupy you

your par agonize lines of justice are made up

fabricated by a false sense of security

and it’s discriminating qualifiers of-

the right

and the wronged

life inside you has lost its humanity purpose and worth

though you find worth

monetarily at least

or you’d too, have no purpose

because you’ve showed as much that

humanity is but a blurred line

a clear line that you draw.

Filed Under: Culture, Inside, Mercy, Spirit, Trauma

Suspense

January 26, 2020 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

For what she knew of me

not lie, nor truth

but wonder

because I knew not of myself

but I hungered

and she yearned with equal fire

to be my satiation

so we set sail

for a life full of discovery.

Filed Under: Love, Mercy, Spirit, Trauma

Loveland

January 26, 2020 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

As I promised escape

she accepted my offer

breaking her former chains

she breathlessly ran

and ran

and ran

possessed by the wind at her face

the calling of freedom

racing the plains of her heart

there was no slowing her-

until she collided with her destiny

the impact both moved and captured her

this was how she dreamed to be halted

standing tranquil motionless but unimpeded

ears fixed to his chest,

just listening

and listening

serenity and serendipity

finally free in his arms.

Filed Under: Culture, Love, Spirit, Trauma

Detached

January 25, 2020 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

Losing touch

everything happening so fast

but at a distance

communication without connection

thinking has become mechanic

taking the humanity out of interactions

everything isn’t made to be fixed

some things function better broken

why seek the broken to fix them

I rather blend in

and in that,

we all heal

because pain

is more than a subject concept or algorithm

its an experience

and some experiences

don’t beg for answers

nor opinions and expertise

just a like spirit that gets it

communing through-

understanding, time

communication,

empathy,

and connection

rather understanding, then navigation

instead of a diagnosis I

don’t want to be fixed

nothing is wrong with me

what’s wrong

is that you may think there is

and that’s what needs fixing.

Filed Under: Culture, Inside, Spirit, Trauma

Alien

January 25, 2020 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

You never knew me

how could you?

I didn’t..

I was never drawn to you

you weren’t broken enough

I acknowledge and welcomed your presence

even recognized your dialect

I’ve spoken many different tongues myself-

like love pain naivete

and even ignorance

just not privileged

cultured in my own ways I suppose

I’ve been around

though not far,

but far enough to know-

we spoke a different language

from a time split by experiences

instead of years

I code switched and spoke your language to fit in

yet when I spoke my language-

I was sore thumbs

we trek from two different worlds

you run from the things I embrace

denying the realities I know exist

how could we coexist intimately in a shared space

when our philosophies would clash and crash

because frankly

I’ve seen it all

yet still I seek

and even question in places where no light creeps

but you’re still scared of the dark

entertaining bed time stories about my life experiences

no, you never knew me,

truthfully you never wanted to

because we all innately fear what we don’t understand

and you will never understand me

it would tarnish your outlook-

like a kid finding out Santa was a hoax

so why would I entertain fear

especially now that I’m living free of it

my life is more museum to people like you

feel free to exhibit

but keep your distance

and don’t touch!

Filed Under: Culture, Love, Spirit, Trauma

Dim Some

January 25, 2020 by Russell Wardlow Leave a Comment

Light

its brilliant intensity

tempting and intimidating

sympathizing with burrowers

darkness heels the promises of light

a sort of comfort in being unseen

once fear of the unseen escapes you

besides

its only your imagination-

creating what has yet to manifest

irony, I suppose

imagination being this freedom

yet shackling you in this moment

the mind lives in a darkness more forgiving than light

because the shade may temporarily conquer truth

nurturing and then sheltering fairy tales

where exposure, it’s brutal reality

demands accountability

ignorance is..

shaded

Filed Under: Culture, Inside, 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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