Creeping up
A silent foe
Breaking him down
Nice and slow

Crushing all
Hopes and dreams
Bravery fading
silent screams

Fighting on
War and peace
Just to get
A partial release

A little confidence
Suddenly lost,
One step forwards
The ultimate cost

Walls built
A safe distance
Hiding the world
From his existence

A man in a cave
Keeping away
Building the courage
To battle today

Invisible injury
A runaway train
Mental illness
Significant pain

Weakness…
It's how it's perceived
Colleagues find…
It hard to believe

Trauma consumes
His fragile mind
He seeks a spot
That's hard to find

Lack of remorse
Absent support
Pushing him
To obvious thoughts

Away from the public
Away from the noise
Away from the world
He said his goodbyes

Discovered alone
Discovered too late
Discovered the body
Discovered his fate

Tears shed
Guilt ridden hearts
Talking history
Picking him apart

Realisation
Lack of due care
Former colleague...

Empty chair

By Darren Wall

I'm drifting out to sea
Where the storms brew
At peace with the thunder
Entranced by the view

The lighting leads
As my eyes fixate
The violent storm
Communicates

I can't hear your cries
I can't feel your pain
Blind to your attempts
To save me again

The sea crashes
I slip further away
Trapped and alone
It's easier that way

I'm lost in the storm
That keeps you away
Don't cry for me now...
I'll find my own way.

Waking to the trauma
That yesterday brought
Locking in the guilt
And the battles I've fought

The triggered event
Overloads my senses
Occurring each night
Breaking defences

The fights that I have
Invisible to your eye
My heart is strong but
My mind wants to die

Shutting down
My brain cant digest
The repetition
Of Post Traumatic Stress

Waking to the trauma
That yesterday brought
No memory of nightmares
Just the pain that they cause

Darren Wall

Looking through the mirror,
Something catches my eye,
A rush of deep emotion,
And the urge to cry,

My body shivers,
My hairs are on end,
Ten years since I saw you last...
...My one and only friend,

Closer you come,
The cold sears up my spine,
My jaw cracks open,
We're frozen in time,

Your hand reaches out,
As I try to scream,
My vocals muted,
Paralysed in a dream,

Your whisper wraps my body,
Feeding off my thoughts,
Devouring my soul,
As my spine contorts,

Falling to the ground,
Exposed for all to see,
The body of a sinner,
Consumed eternally.

By Darren Wall

Judgmental eyes
And septic tones
The Illiterate views
Of a mindless clone

Their brain sparks
At headline news
They follow the herd
Missing the clues

Making assumptions
Lacking the facts
Finding their prey
To launch an attack

They stir up hatred
And dish out blame
Keyboard warriors
Resilient to shame

Provoking responses
Encouraging hate
Feeding on trauma
Served on a plate

Selling papers
Creating division
Spreading their lies
To fund their addiction

By Darren Wall

Trembling hands grasping bow
Flowers laid on ground below
Candles burnt and tears flow
Balloons in hand, we let them go

Glass remains amongst the tree
Bark stripped back, in memory
Stories shared for all to see
High emotion, running free

The sun descends in golden sky
I feel your presence walking by
Fading son caught my eye
Waving back, he said Good bye

By Darren Wall