PTSD



Behold the aging soldier. He's grown longer in the tooth.
He wears the scars of battle that had squandered all his youth.
Although his war has ended, he finds much to his dismay.
The demons that now haunt him just don't seem to go away.
He performed his duty proudly as he served his time in hell.
The nightmares still upset him, but he hides it very well.
He tries to carry happy thoughts when he lays down to sleep.
But they will soon turn ugly 'cause his wounds are far too deep.
Outsiders just don't realize what may happen to these vets.
Their memories often fill them with a ton of life's regrets.
Try to keep them in your prayers so peace is what they find.
So many of them can't go on and they often lose their mind.

About this poem

As a combat veteran, I know firsthand the trials and tribulations suffered by many. It is very real. It has taken a huge toll on the Vietnam vets over the years and will affect the vets of today more and more as time goes on.

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Written on May 13, 2022

Submitted by npirandy on February 08, 2023

Modified on May 03, 2023

46 sec read
320

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABBCCDDEEFF
Closest metre Iambic heptameter
Characters 724
Words 151
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 12

Randy West

I'm 76 years old and a combat veteran from Vietnam. I used to compose poetry while on ambush patrol as a way of staying awake on watch, since falling asleep could be hazardous to my health. I started early in life though, because, as a child, I would write little tidbits to my mom for the heck of it. more…

All Randy West poems | Randy West Books

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    "PTSD" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/153431/ptsd>.

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