The Panic Button
I trust you to give me the care I deserve,
to honor the oath, to advocate.
Without debate, I followed your lead,
A Marine, a bit broken, but built to succeed.
Take this not that, he says of the scripts.
See you next week, this will work out great.
I struggle to live. I lean on my mom.
She takes me to the VA. My hands shake.
Do you feel normal? the doctor asks.
Sleep deprived, I scoff, I eat seeds.
Agitation rises, anxiety flares,
heart pounds—no lifeline, no care.
Wait, who prescribed this?
What? Say again?
No time to listen, just empty words.
What the fuck do you mean? I snap.
Code Blue, lights flash. Code Blue again.
Not one, not two, but three security in the fray.
Stay for your safety, they sternly say.
I jump from my seat—From whom? From me? You?
I react without thought or care.
My mom behind me, tears in her eyes.
She pulls me back—I freeze, I breathe, I break.
I deserve better, we all do.
Chuck Hale is a United States Marine Corps veteran who served nearly seven years on active duty as an Infantry Assaultman, including deployments to Somalia, the Middle East, Japan, and Iceland. After his service, he earned a BA in History from Arizona State University and a MEd from Northern Arizona University. He now works at ASU in the College of Health Solutions, coordinating graduate programs and leading veteran initiatives with the Military and Veteran Resilience and Health Collaborative (MVRHC). Deeply committed to empowering student veterans, he also remains actively engaged with other local and national organizations such as Daisy Mountain Veterans and Merging Vets and Players (MVP).
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