My thoughts and heart mimic the sound of the turning dryer.
The left side of my brain tries to call my right side a liar.
The clashing civil war of conflicting thoughts combat endlessly through the night.
The black and the white thinking cannot seem to come to an agreement or any form of a concluding handshake.
The gray thinking though, it oozes like sludge in the trenches of warfare.
The questions fire like cannons or fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Have you ever wondered why loud fireworks are used for the Fourth of July,
when these explosive sounds are probably the most triggering for war veterans?
The life projections, they teeter on the sides of the battlefield,
with stitches and bullets of conformity,
or on some days, enormity of unity.
About the Creator
Rowan Finley
Father. Academic Advisor. Musician. Writer. My real name is Jesse Balogh.
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Comments (5)
As a soldier myself, they always warned us, your mind will stop you before your heart and body will. To control one's mind, is to control the battlefield. Enemy thrives in chaos. Well written and appreciate you shedding light on the topic.
“Enormity of unity”. That really gives pause.
The mind is maybe the most intense battlefield, some veterans are still triggered by loud noises but enjoy the display from it, while others are triggered by things they experienced after coming home from war- including the judgment from others from being a soldier. With war being conducted more remotely now, "shell shock" is less prevalent than the pain of being asked to skew compassion. We can fix a broken arm or a shrapnel wound, but healing the mind requires great compassion, understanding and a willingness to go beyond. “And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Luke 5:30-31 NKJV He's the ultimate physician. 😇 .
This is some deep stuff. The description of conflicting thoughts is spot-on. It makes me think about times when I've had a mental tug-of-war. And that question about fireworks for vets is thought-provoking. Do you think there are better ways to celebrate that are less triggering? Also, how do you deal with those internal battles of black-and-white thinking?
The stitches and bullets of conformity resonates here marking the escalation of the fighting from the mind to the trenches. Love it!