Switchback- Riding the Bright Night, an Ode to PTSD

with might holy 
hold and grip her belly
protecting
like a life or contraband within
shudder and tremble
in the damp night
twitch and shiver
like the darkwet
hide of the equine
tight

muscle of the mind
that little chaos
and no washboard
can push it under
can you get with that
get with this
you want an acronym*
you wanna try this
you wanna 
you wanna
break this down
she wants to break it down too
like a hookah
or a syringe 
or a gun
handle it

inured to the coal dark
and the sentinels have bowed out
there will be no negotiations
it is always drastic
nights like this
come down like a cleaver
before stainless steel was ever made

*PTSD