Photograph

This found poem was composed from portions of Neville Johnson’s works, originally published in “Sangin: Then and Now” with Dead Reckoning Collective in 2022.

The photograph discolored and stained
Nothing more than a recollection
It’s the kind I want to clutch
A visual account of joy and happiness

The brotherhood

I miss them today
The lads, the brothers
Sitting here, reminiscing
My memories of war
The smiles on their faces

In the quiet moments, I hear past conversations and jokes
Stories told with a dark sense of humor
Hope for all
Keeping the darkness at bay

As I close my eyes I drift to that place
For a moment, it felt real
It felt like home
My wonderful wild
Beautiful Helmand Valley

In search of war, the boys smiling like never before
The photograph discolored and stained

__________________________

Lori Butierries is a full-time caregiver to two children with disabilities. She uses her life experiences and the medical knowledge she gained from serving as a Hospital Corpsman in the United States Navy to help others facing similar hardships. Lori is an author for The Havok Journal, an official columnist for AwareNow Magazine, and a contributor to The Mighty. Likewise, other news sites like MSN and Yahoo! News have also republished select articles Lori  has written.

Lori’s writing extends to children’s literature. Her debut picture book, GIFT FROM GOD, was self-published at the beginning of 2021 and placed as a finalist in two categories in the 2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Lori’s long-term goals are to use her writing to educate others about, advocate for, and dismantle negative stereotypes regarding disability, mental health, and the military/veteran community.

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.