Chapter 3 Excerpt… By @RWhiteAuthor I remember the call that cracked something in me. It wasn’t the most violent or grotesque. It wasn’t the kind of call that ends with blood-soaked gloves and a sense of finality. No, it was subtle. Quiet, almost. And that’s what …
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The Quiet After the Sirens
In The Quiet After the Sirens, Richard White—poet, veteran, and former EMS Lieutenant—offers an unflinching look at the silent battles that follow service. From the scorching deserts of Iraq to the heart-wrenching stillness of 911 calls, White confronts the toll of trauma, exposing the weight of PTSD, depression, and anxiety with raw vulnerability and unwavering honesty.
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There’s a silence most people never hear.
It’s not peace—it’s the sound after the sirens, when the adrenaline fades and the ghosts start talking.
After years in the military, fire service, and EMS, I came to know that silence too well. It isn’t quiet. It’s noise turned inward.
In that space, the heart races, the mind replays trauma, and the spirit aches under the weight of it all.
Crowded rooms became unbearable. Joy felt dangerous. And I couldn’t sit still without my hands shaking.
But healing began when I finally stopped running and listened to that silence. I learned to name the things I feared. I started writing again.
This memoir, The Quiet After the Sirens, is a testament to survival—not just in the field, but in the stillness that follows.
It’s about carrying the weight, honoring the ghosts, and learning how to breathe again.
If you’ve ever known that kind of silence, this story is for you too.