Monday, June 8, 2009

Old Wounds

They are graying, balding, and bespectacled.
It took nearly 30 years
before they could bring themselves
to the mental health clinic.
Only recently have they begun
to deal with the psychological wounds
that they sustained in Vietnam.
Many are retiring,
giving them
more time alone
with their memories.
As they age,
many have quit drinking
and using drugs,
which they had used to cope.
Some are dealing with family issues
— like the death of a spouse
or birth of a grandchild
— that prompt them
to re-evaluate their lives.
Others have succumbed
to a barrage of graphic images of war.
mechanisms used over the past 40 years,
aren't working anymore.
You can only drink so much.

No comments:

Post a Comment