Some wars don’t end at the airport.

For a lot of us, they just change uniforms.

This episode of American Buddhist Poetry Radio is about that second war — the one that starts after you turn in the gear, sign the papers, and try to build a life in a country that doesn’t really know what to do with you.

I’m talking about the quiet war:

* going from leading people to scanning boxes in a warehouse

* watching your MOS translate to “unskilled labor” on paper

* trying to be a parent or partner while part of you is still downrange

* feeling respected in theory and forgotten in real life

No slogans. No hero worship.

Just one vet talking honestly about money, purpose, loneliness, and that weird feeling of coming home and still not feeling like you’re “back.”

After the talk, we move into a blues-soaked poem — a kind of soldier’s blues for everybody who served, came home, and is still carrying the weight in their ribs.

🎧 How to listen

Throw on some headphones, hit play on the main episode at the top of this post, and let it ride like late-night radio.

RADIO BONUS TRACK ·

American Soldier Blues

For this one, I also made a separate track called “American Soldier Blues” — a full blues song built from the same wound, the same story.

It’s a side door into the same pain:

* same veteran truth

* same second war

* just told as music instead of narration

You’ll see the extra player for American Soldier Blues down below the main episode. Hit it if you want to sit with this as a song too.

If you’re a veteran, this one is for you.

If you love a vet, you’re welcome to pass it on.

Monk Mode Society: American Soldier Blues

If you write poetry about life, suffering, compassion, or trying to heal after all of it, you’re welcome to send it in for a future episode of American Buddhist Poetry Radio.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit monkmodesociety.substack.com