Hero
By Fred Appelhanz
They know not-
the horror I have done.
They find it unacceptable;
the monster I have become.
Brutality flows-
behind eyes of a loved one.
Moments of war freeze-
They call me a hero.
Into my eyes
needles of death are thrown.
Within a shattered mind
screaming ghosts roam.
My essence seeks conflict.
Paranoia gnaws my bones.
Rigid tension dominates, and
They call me a hero.
A curtain of blood flows.
Helplessly, I’m drowning,
as my kindness ebbs away.
Family dissolves into meaninglessness.
Reminders of the dead
constantly appear.
I have become a pariah.
They call me a “Hero.”
Copyright © by the owner.
