Strand lines on the sand

Strand lines on the sand


Triggered tides of loss and fear

Wash in, out and over me, 

The strand lines on the sand

Evidence the debris

You created back then,

When, I fought the shockwaves

And lost my sense of self. 


I was driftwood 

Floating on a sea of uncertainty, 

The only certainty are the memories, flashbacks, 

Etched fossil-like on my mind, 

Embedded rock hard, never to be eroded. 


And yet time has softened 

My heightened senses, sharp edges;

DBT and Mindfulness have brought clarity 

To my cloudy waters of doubt, 

And each triggered tide

Brings forth less debris 

To my mind's strand line.


When I watch the tide of emotions

Coming into shore now, 

I'm able to ride them, 

Surf them even, 

Because I accept my triggers, 

They are part of my journey

And there is so much more sea

Left to explore 

Than the shore I found myself on, 

Back then. 


Where there are triggers

There will always be strand, 

Where there are inner wounds

There will always be heart scars, 

But where there is compassion, 

For self, and that which is held in grace

By those who love me, 

There will always be healing. 


You can't stop the trigger-tide,

But you can rise in it's wake. 


A Wensley 

23/11/2023

Published by PTSD UK June 2024








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