Shrapnel
Bombs erupt in the skin under my fingernails
And I tiptoe over land mines on my way to bed.
No one knows the battles I fight in my mind.
Shrapnel bursts into flames
Before my eyes and I am back there.
Orders buzzing in ear, I try to subvert my terror.
Heart ablaze in adrenaline,
I fight.
Squinting before the trigger is pulled,
I apply pressure and release a
Storm cloud into the air.
The fiery boom of my alarm clock shakes me
Away from my nightmares of blasted limbs and
Wounded friends, I
Hear them call my name,
Screaming from my subconscious.
I try to ignore their pleadings—
I fail.