My mind’s a warzone no one can see, I fight old battles inside of me. The wounds aren’t bleeding, but they ache deep, Haunting my soul when I try to sleep. Flashbacks hit like thunder and rain, Smiles can’t cover invisible pain. I laugh in daylight, but nights defile, Peace feels distant — mile after mile. My thoughts replay what I can’t forget, The past is a ghost I haven’t met. I scream in silence, I fake a grin, The war outside moved deep within. But still, I rise, I breathe, I cope, In shattered pieces, I plant my hope. I’m not my trauma, though it’s part of me, I’m learning to live with my PTSD.