My name is Larry Stromberg. My poem is entitled “What happened to Larry Stromberg?”
What happened to Larry Stromberg?
From the surface, it all seemed normal:
A friendly, talented young man with a kind heart,
Great future, and a purpose for success.
Mixed breed, Greek, Irish, German bloodline,
Who loved his family, his parents, siblings,
Cousins, aunts, uncles, his grandparents.
Loved his animals, dogs and cats,
The ocean blue, with the purest of heart.
When he worshiped the good Lord above,
He trained to be in excellent physical condition.
An actor, writer, director by trade,
Active member of SAG-AFTRA
Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television Radio Artists.
The young man who adored,
Cherished and loved his wife,
The Purple Rose.
Marion Stefan’s wedding day, Louisville, Kentucky,
The happiest day of his life.
Love so deep, so beautiful in each other’s arms.
Life dreams fulfilled,
Beautiful times in Germantown, Pennsylvania.
But one never knows the darkness
Implanted by the trauma of abuse as a child.
This young man and his sister, Michelle,
Abused sexually over and over again.
Abused physically, emotionally,
Spiritually and mentally by the monsters at bay.
His siblings Shawna, Diane, died as infants.
His sister Michelle overdoses into the next life.
What happened to Larry Stromberg?
When circumstances switches beyond his control,
They create panic attacks,
Anxiety attacks at the highest pressure points.
Vertigo spins non-stop.
Have out-of-control obsession to fix his marriage,
Adultery makes him feel like that little boy
Being abused over and over again by the devil’s agents.
His prefrontal cortex out of whack.
His friends become his betrayers.
The mind snaps like a, like a banshee,
Like a banshee.
Spiritual warfare in its full force.
The young man changes.
There’s a horrible, violent act.
Lives destroyed.
His life destroyed.
He never imagined he would dwell
In a lifelong cage of death by incarceration,
Drawing behind the cold, steel, concrete walls
And the razor wire in the compound of Pennsylvania.
Torturing remorse.
Remorse that brings one’s to their knees in agony.
Seeking the relief only the Creator can offer and give.
His family devastated,
As if their family members consumed with sorrow.
They may never forgive him.
It has to be accepted and understood.
So, he writes five apology letters to the apology bank,
At the Office of Victims Advocate, expressing sincere remorse.
He’s still trying to forgive himself.
Over 30 years of incarceration.
Even with his gained education,
Villanova University, EFM, Education For Ministry,
Therapeutic programs, other programs,
Becoming a CPS, certified peer support specialist,
Helping those with mental issues just like himself.
Staging over 100 plays to help others,
Help others in the cage of condemnation.
Praying for a second chance,
Filing every court in America and for clemency,
All denied, as he tries once again.
His accomplishments are listed on the internet.
It includes his films, plays, screenplays, essays, poems,
To encourage and heal the broken world.
May others learn from his broken life.
Occasionally, you’ll find Larry Stromberg on the theatrical stage,
Yes, in the penitentiary, where he comes alive,
putting his painful past behind him for a short moment,
Becoming someone else like Julius Caesar or Macbeth, to perfection.
After the performance, the past comes back to torture his mind,
Grab his broken heart and chaining his soul all over again.
He prays for redemption.
He writes.
He keeps on trying to better himself as a human being,
Seeking his forgiveness in this life and the next to come.
The refuge of the condemned.
This is what happened to Larry Stromberg. Thank you. This is Larry Stromberg. Take care. God bless.
These commentaries are recorded by Prison Radio.
