It took years to dislodge the hate
searing my brain and every limb,
like a tree burning in a firestorm.
I’m charred but still standing,
waiting for the rains of spring.
Eric Stephenson served in Alpha Company, 2/75th Ranger Battalion from 1982 to 1987. He has taught English at various colleges and universities since 1998 and is the publisher and editor-in-chief of US Represented, as well as a contributing writer.
