Aftermath Poem by Seamus O' Brian

Sometimes in the background
Almost imperceptibly
It glides through the rooms
Of my soul
Fluttering a curtain,
Rattling the blinds,
Turning a page in a discarded
Book—oh, yes—
Something of a mess
In here.
Quite a storm that was.
Chaos of a tortured soul and all that.
Betrayal, Rage, Fear,
Love, Pain, Regret.
Usual suspects.
Nothing new under that sun.
Still sneaks up on me though,
Cold breath on my neck.

But sometimes with a fury
That shakes the very walls,
Driving that bitter rain through
Fissures and cracks-
A blast of icy needles
Aimed at the eyes and the heart.
Back against the wall,
Head in my knees
Some solace found because
Shaking sobs can't be heard
In a hurricane of guilt and shame.

A worried question, paused,
Can the roof of this soul fly
Away?