They lay in their wooden sarcophagus, the polished and the tattered, the clean and the dirty, the garrison and the combat. They represent a life Continue Reading
From Civilian to Military into Something In-Between
I opened the door to a PX special of attire. What stood before me were four bushy-eyed Airmen covered in American flags, 1776, and Grunt Style. Continue Reading
We Come from Different Worlds
You see a vet, and you see an angry, gun-slinging, paranoid, PTSD-stricken lunatic. He cusses all the time and seems to always be looking over Continue Reading
I Want To Reassume My Position On The Brink
I want nothing more than to run one foot after the other, weight bearing down on me, the sun on my back, and hell on earth all around me. I feel Continue Reading
The Crushing Weight
The wreathed dagger. The winged parachute. The golden Ranger tab. The Ranger Scrolls. They are nothing more than objects. They are Continue Reading
The Lady in the Trench Coat
Once upon a time, before I was a cop, I worked a menial job. Despite the sun having long set, the temperature was well into the 80s. The weather did Continue Reading
Rules without Reason
Rules should not be created to be broken, but they should not be created to follow blindly. Behind every rule should lie a reason. We do not run red Continue Reading
The Monster Within
My head is pounding. My body is exhausted. My teeth are clinched. As I drive, I recognize the signs there is something wrong. My mind is searching for Continue Reading
Becoming the Impossible
Kindness kills. Blind trust kills. Being all that society asks its citizens to be kills. My greatest mistakes were rooted in kindness Continue Reading
I Dream of Others’ NightmaresÂ
I wonder hopelessly in the mundane. The brain begins to create that which it longs for. If the world does not provide it, I will create it. Continue Reading
Suffering Alone
As the falling droplets began to run cold, I contemplated the options. Should I call the man who understood such a lapse the most? The man Continue Reading
Where Beauty is Found in War
I'm behind a tree no bigger around than my fist with branches breaking and dirt flying. In a fleeting moment I hardly ever share, a grin spreads Continue Reading