"The Attack"
by Ayman Kafel
I’m in my car
Traveling down the road
With the 1,000 yard stare
My heart rate starts to rise
Feelings of hyper vigilance
Hits me like waves,
I grip the steering wheel tighter,
Faster and faster my car goes,
100 mph of speed,
Equal to the beat of my heart,
I take deep breaths to slow it down,
So overwhelming as it hits its peak,
Where did this attack come from,
Could it be from my last operation?
Could it be from that IED strike decades ago?
Could it be from when I nearly pulled the trigger?
Haunted by the memories,
This attack won’t be the only one,
It’s the burdens I bear
Ayman Kafel is a former US Army combat veteran and current law enforcement officer. He is also the host of Project Sapient, a podcast dedicated to law enforcement and military issues.
Learn more about Veterans Repertory Theater here. Listen to the Savage Wonder podcast here. See a live show at VetRep here.