Artist Statement

When I came home from Iraq in 2010, I was a broken soldier. Six years of war service had taken its toll. I was on my way to alcoholism, divorce and death. The decision I made to get help for my PTSD at a VA Medical Center gave me back my life. I see my poetry writing as an extension of my therapy. Now I work daily as an advocate for veteran therapy and suicide prevention. By doing newspaper interviews, blogs, podcasts, public speaking and book signings, I hope to make a difference.

My published collection of poetry titled "Invisible Wounds of War: My Redemption" has sold well. I have given away hundreds of copies. My book royalties are donated to two organizations offering free mental health care to veterans and servicemembers.

In my poem "The Bonds of War", I write about an outreach to a veteran who had bottled up his PTSD for 50 years. He is now in therapy.