Shell-shock Stories

A poem dedicated to Shell-Shocked soldiers of the World Wars. (Written by me over a year ago for my history class)

World War I was earth-shattering. A war to end all wars, it was called. The battles were long, excruciating, and bloody. Never before had the deaths been so severe. Men were lucky to come home with their limbs firmly in place. But some men had a scar that wasn't seen on the body. They came home different from before. It was initially called shell-shock. Hysteria, hypersensitivity, insomnia, muscle spasms, irritability. All signs of shell-shock. Even worse than shell-shock itself were the treatments of the individuals. They were shunned in their own veteran community, called cowards. They were electrocuted, starved, and executed. They received no pension or honor for their service. Even their own families abandoned them. Shell-shock is a mental illness that nowadays is called PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Even today those who have been diagnosed with PTSD are still not treated with the respect they deserve. This is a story of a struggle. A struggle of a young boy coming home fresh from WWI with shell-shock. This is a story of the perpetual love from his sister, who becomes his caretaker. Faced with obstacles they have never imagined before, their bond will be put to the test.