Conscripted Soldiers Discarded: Suffering Shell Shock Battle Fatigue Poem by Terence George Craddock

patriotism has a necessary place among nations
but we need to remember the horror conscripted
young men are forced to endure against their will

the sad inadequate lack of support provided
for veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder
is a shameful slap in face fails to honour service

for centuries before WW2 to decades after Vietnam
veterans have confessed a few of their tortured stories
nightmares flashbacks tormenting brutalized souls

I wrote 'RAF Carrot Piercing Eyes'
to honour tragic experiential horror fear
flight waves of horror least we forget


Terence George Craddock (Afterglows Echoes Of Starlight)
Copyright © Terence George Craddock