No One Told Me
by Odin odin@aflx.com — Read all 3,869 poems by Odin odin@aflx.com
Every day, there are hundreds of experiences. A few make front pages. I’m told war’s PTSD comes in many sizes and knows no limits. Might we as ordinary citizens be looking at a Senate plagued with another PTSD variation… guilt. Lest we respect the Constitution, we might all become faced with our own version of PTSD. (Image by Tom Hill)No One Told Me
They say
I’m supposed to grieve in stages
A bit presumptuous, eh?
Just how is this insight acquired?
Maybe
Just maybe
If they’d outlined the steps
Both of my bereaved deployments
Might not have ripped heart and spirit
Into so many scattered pieces
Maybe
I could have asked friends
Weep with me?
Maybe
I wouldn’t have excluded them
These many months of loneliness
But then
Maybe I wouldn’t have accepted
This fragile courage
To double check my mags
Make sure the chamber’s loaded
Step cautiously and nudge the child’s severed arm
Closer to her body
Wipe my eyes clear
Take another step forward
Can’t help wondering
When and how was I supposed to get it
This euphoria of numbness some call it
This make-as-you-go survival kit
Nobody told me
Oh, yes. They did.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
No One Told Me
They say
I’m supposed to grieve in stages
A bit presumptuous, eh?
Just how is this insight acquired?
Maybe
Just maybe
If they’d outlined the steps
Both of my bereaved deployments
Might not have ripped heart and spirit
Into so many scattered pieces
Maybe
I could have asked friends
Weep with me?
Maybe
I wouldn’t have excluded them
These many months of loneliness
But then
Maybe I wouldn’t have accepted
This fragile courage
To double-check my mags
Make sure the chamber’s loaded
Step cautiously and nudge the child’s severed arm
Closer to her body
Wipe my eyes clear
Take another step forward
Can’t help wondering
When and how was I supposed to get it
This euphoria of numbness some call it
This make-as-you-go survival kit
Nobody told me
Oh, yes. They did.
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Love ya!
Jane