Poems That Spark Discussion

“I wish my arm or leg were lost, then you will realize what war cost, as you cannot see my mind that was lost.”

Poems That Spark Discussion is the story of one veteran’s quest to find his voice and manage post-traumatic stress disorder. A collection of poetry, it features thoughts about love, fear, suicide, drugs, anger and, most importantly, survival. For many, PTSD is considered a curse; for Wayne D. Federation, it was life saving. He spent decades thinking his anger, emotional numbness, fear, insomnia, aversion to noise and crowds, and other idiosyncrasies were normal. A diagnosis of PTSD in 2012 helped him understand that the behaviour was a result of his mind trying to make sense of what he’d witnessed and experienced. Wayne wrote this book to help himself cope with the realization that he was not okay. Once he began putting his thoughts on paper, it was like opening a channel to the world.