Thank you, Jan!

Thank you, Sharmila.

Thank you for your kind comment, Kim. Much appreciated!

Your father’s experience on the battlefield contrasted w/ the war zone at home is a gripping narrative, John. His army pants are symbolic of the trauma he was unable to leave behind, internalizing it in addiction & bringing the war home to his family. Difficult stuff to live & write about. Respect.

Thank you, John.

Aaawh, thank you, Stan. I’m pleased you told me about this prompt and grateful for Alan gathering poets around this theme.

You took a creative and relatable approach, Ju. Your poem is brilliant and powerful, chock full of images that reach to the core of human experience — the daily, unavoidable, private wars we all fight. So many people reading this will feel seen.

Beautifully, devastatingly done, my friend. x

“undersea cables of my empathy”
“star-bursting cells”
“shrapnel-batteries of cancer”
“unearned ink”
“clean and bloodless paper”

So many rich and startling images here, Ju, all of them warlike. These are the daily battles we can all relate to, and they’re as real as any kinetic war with bombs. 1/