"Facing the Man in the Mirror"
by Neville Johnson
The truth he might disclose
With all the pain that follows
I avoid the stranger I see
The sound of my voice resounding the words I don't want to hear
I avoid looking myself in the eyes and set my conscience free
Neville Johnson is a UK veteran of Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland. Follow him here. Listen to the Savage Wonder podcast episode with him here.
Sweeping Leaves in the Wind, Good Soldiers Don’t Cry, and Alone in a Crowded Room by the Veterans Collective, featuring selections from Neville Johnson.
War...& After The Anthology of Poet Warriors Collection 2 by Dead Reckoning Collective, featuring selections from Neville Johnson.
Learn more about Veterans Repertory Theater here.
I just wrote a piece about looking into the mirror too. After reading Neville Johnson’s poem today, it made me wonder how many other veterans/people struggle with this same specific issue. Food for thought.