View Article – Veterans Voices Writing Project

There it is,
that look in your eyes
distant
empty of emotion
the one
masking the memories
of a battlefield
far, far away.

I recognize it,
because I have seen it
before
staring back
at me in the mirror
absent of feeling
devoid of any hope
lost and alone.

I've been there,
sat in a similar chair
desperate
for answers
fighting alone
always looking back.
Then help was offered;
my journey began.

You'll need courage
to make this same journey,
determination
eyes forward
never looking back
willingness to trust.
Let me help you;
you're not alone.

Notes: This poem was inspired by the look I see in many of the veterans in my practice. Especially after they come back from a deployment. It hits home to me every time because I know it far to well.