“Untitled”
By Carly Hanlon
Gray is the color of potential.
The potential for a thunderous storm in the gray clouds.
When I am feeling gray I am as cold and hard as steel.
Gray is the silence between two people.
Gray is the distant moon that they both gaze at alone.
“This is my first semester at Nicolet.”
* * * * * * * * * *
“Choice”
By Paisley Woodside
Memorials and cemeteries are staffed to keep the dead alive,
But how do we care for those who come back, the ones that did survive?
We make them wait for months on end with paperwork and rules.
Inflicting more pain on mangled Vets is assuredly quite cruel.
Scores are told:
"You failed to cross this little "t", or dot this tiny "i",
The paperwork was routed wrong, we really can't say why.
The backlog's bad, there is no room, can you come again next week?
I'm sure there'll be a doctor here, if not the one you seek.
We tried to get ahold of you, before you traveled here,
Your test in this facility, it seems it wasn't cleared.
We understand the pain you're in, but we just know you will abuse
Any hard core pain relief we prescribe for you to use."
It matters not how far you've come, nor if you need a ride,
The system's not set up to care, it's the rules you must abide!
Lies or excuses are the order of the day
Perhaps in hopes the Vet gives up and just stays the hell away?
There's no denying there are those that care and try their best
But the system's stacked against them, and the Vets,
they know the rest.
Wake up Congress! A program fix, it must not, cannot wait!
Veterans are dying while you wrangle and debate.
“I am a resident of Hazelhurst. I am a driver for a disabled veteran and get him to various medical appointments. I find myself frustrated at the care our veterans generally receive in their broken medical system and was moved to write about it.”
