Ghost Warrior

Combat is a soul snatcher. When the warrior leaves the field of battle he or she often leaves behind a vital part of their essence. On returning to peacetime life,the combatant is left feeling incomplete and without the capacity to leave behind the survival mode of living learned during the rigors of battle. The result is often a deterioration of personality and understanding of ones role in noncombatant life. For many it also leads to the deterioration of moral values and belief systems.

Reintegrating that essence or ghost is the key to healing. Tribal peoples recognized this and dealt with the problem immediately through ritual and ceremony. Today in our society there is a acknowledgement and even an anticipation of the problem. That was not the case during and after the conflict in Vietnam when soldiers and Marines returned from war and found themselves incapable of functioning within the norms of society.

This book of poems is the story of one warrior's journey from despair and hopelessness to a life filled with promise and serenity. The pieces in it were written during a long healing process. It is not an easy task to expose the ugly secrets of combat and the resultant aftermath. Ghost Warrior is an attempt at sharing a life of healing and renewal in hopes that it can help other veterans and their families heal from the unnatural experiences of war.