War veterans have many triggers
they were trained to kill
and by giving them this skill
it causes deep psyche damage!
Conflict zones cement their woes
fighting all and sundry foes
Training doesn’t prepare for the lows
Difficult to take time out or smell a rose
Calm sanity often goes
impatience and anger quick to trigger
reactions before they can compose
Their nerves are so frayed
Lack of sleep with trauma replayed
Family matters often delayed
Tough bravado readily displayed
but they are indeed kind loyal heroes!
Poetry 101 Rehab: Triggers
be aware of the damage that war does!
aroused 
Yes, they are heroes and I have read how difficult it is for them to adjust to life after war. And it is really sad that people are always at war. Regards.
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Sad heroes 😦 Nice image
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Wonderful poem! :). It’s just a shame that it exists…what I mean is that if there was no war we wouldn’t need to write such words…(sorry I didn’t mean it in an offensive way, I’m glad you wrote it)
The war is such a short thing compared to the after effects veterans go through, some may never get to a good place 😦
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A sensitive response to the prompt and good to see it provoked debate…
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Too many relatives in too many wars. To young ones in the Army presently.
I agree with your assessment. We can only hope that there is more assistance available for those
who suffer now than there use to be.
Thanks for stopping by my post on the prompt 🙂
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You said it!
I’m sincerely hoping that now they recognise PTSD and can plug into both psychosocial and physical therapy much sooner that these defence personal might have a better outcome. Earlier help could mean a cure, as apposed to just a patch up job.
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This is a thoughtful poem and it’s very true and sad about those warriors and soldiers who are out in the warfield and fighting for protecting the people of their country, risking their lives !
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Good poem. I liked the topic, style and wordings. It’s true about soldiers and warriors, and that is how life is. In the course of their transformation they gain in some aspect of life and lose in some too.
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Your poems are fantastic, and embody much-needed empathy…thank you for sharing 🙂
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I’ve many friend who returned from the Vietnam war, and sadly your poem aptly fits their persona ……
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I worked with Vietnam Vets for years Ivor that’s where my knowledge comes from …. what we do to service personnel is shameful!
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Sorrowfully I had one of my friends who got so frustrated with Vets Affairs Office, and having no satisfaction at all with his claim….. one day stepped into their office a blew his head off with a gun………
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woeful, I worked with them in a very different way and heard so many stories … sorry for your loss but they push too many past their endurance level 😦
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What a thoughtful and thought provoking poem, thank you!
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I knew a man who had served in Viet Nam in his youth, and he never did overcome his panic whenever he heard helicopters flying overhead. The damage that war does to people doesn’t end when the war does. Thanks for the reminder.
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sadly in many ways those that died there were better off, the others are haunted for life 😦
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Bringning us the real – in the past I was in a place where I saw a WW1 vet who used to walk past my place of work, down a main road to get to teh corner deli. He rarely made it, when a truck would hit the large drain, as they mostly did, the truck would make an incredible thunderous sound. This man would stop and do a parade ground drill, wheel, and return home. The shell shock was evident.
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My grandfather, father and several uncles were all diagnosed with shell shock or anxiety and depression. So when dad died I worked for years with veterans to understand PTSD as it’s now known .. I come from a family severely war damaged!
NOBODY should ever go to war!
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Yes, my rellies went through hell, will little pay and no support, and the misery of PTSD horrible – no to war.
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