WHEN

[BikeWriter]

When you're on the highest dosage
And it isn't half enough,

When your nights are torn and twisted with the pain

When the sleep you get is really rather futile
For it only brings the nightmares once again.

When a day of aching struggle
Wins another just the same,

When you need someone to talk to
But your friends have had their fill.

When the doctor knows the problem but cannot cure the ill

When your faith lies dead and broken
And all others seem as frail,

When crying does no good and you're just too tired to scream

When hope is never present and pleasure rarely seen

When the happiness of others gives the painful contrast one more time

When the hollowness inside is sounding like a drum

When love and laughter have finally fled

Then, just then,

You'll be close to the place where I dwell

It's a place you might call hell.

[madeline_con]

1. I'm afraid

there will be much more writing like yours as more of our guys come back from Iraq, especially Fallujah. :(

[WiltedFlowerChild]

2. Good thoughts

to you from the wife of another member of the Class of VietNam 1967-68

[BikeWriter]

5. Thank you, Ma'am. I appreciate that.

[BikeWriter]

4. Yes'm, I'm afraid so, too.

:(

[MrScorpio]

3. That cheered me up

Inspirational

[BikeWriter]

6. Thank you, MrScorpio.

[khashka]

7. That hits too close to home

I have a non-MS sensory/motor polyneuropathy,. This means that all the nerves in my body are being taken apart or just simply falling apart. Nobody knows what's causing it and therefore don't know how to treat it. It hurts constantly.

So, it's also affecting my eyes, my hearing, since I don't feel things I get hurt very badly without being aware of it. I've been told within the next five to ten years I'll probably end up in a wheel chair, if I'm lucky. Then blind and deaf. Except as things are progressing, the blindness may well come first.

So I get bitter and nasty and irritable. And what you posted reminded me of myself, and that's hard to face, even harder to face is the fact that I'm one of the lucky ones - I have time, to reconcile myself, to learn how to live with being crippled, to adjust to it. And it's a fucking nightmare - but how much worse not to have that time, for it to happen suddenly and incontravertibly.

Gods I hate this war. I know what it brings! And no matter how much I am suffering (but I do OK), I know that others are suffering so much worse. Even in my worst moments I ache for the victims. Sometimes when the pain and fear becomes too much for me... yes I beg for who will ever listen to make it stop, I also beg that I can take their suffering onto myself because I had time to prepare for it, to deal with it and they didn't. I'm not a martyr by any means - most people will tell you I'm kinda a nice guy most of the time and occassionally a real bastard.

Ok now I'm starting to cry so sod this for a game of soldiers

Khash.

[BikeWriter]

8. (((((Khash))))) I had a Sweet Lady tell me something...

last night. She said I wasn't a pity party for crying over our war losses, and if I didn't shed a tear now and again, I wouldn't be human. I hope to the bottom of my black heart you have many more good times, my Friend!