Police - Ptsd - Our Forgotten Sisters And Brothers Poem by Paul Warren

I’ve been scooped away he told me that day
A spoonful at a time I feel all wasted away
At night I wake up after seeing them all again
The dead ones, the mutilated and my missing friends
There’s a point in time where it doesn’t matter any more
I’ve seen it, I’ve done it, I’ve counted the final score!

He survives now on tablets to get him through the day
He’s family is gone they couldn’t for one more moment stay
Just the thought of the uniform now fills him with dread
I know there are times when he wants to be dead
There have been others before who didn’t last so long
They took their life and their end verses were no song
How could others say that all they needed was to run it out?
They did not see them when they screamed and wanted to clout

We have a Memorial in Canberra now for police who have died
Whilst on duty wearing the blue proudly whose past was not mired
By things such as memories and medication to cope with it all
Surely our beloved sisters and brothers who answered the call
By holding it together and standing when others have had to flee
Deserve to be honoured and remembered by all is my plea
Have their names included on the Memorial each one was brave
Not to have them with the honoured is an omission that’s grave!

© Paul Warren Poetry