On April 20th, five years ago, I had to make the most painful decision of my life—from a Zoom call. My sister was dying, and I was her healthcare proxy. While my mother and niece sat at her bedside, I gave the word to let her go. That moment changed me forever. I carry it into every EMS shift, every sleepless night, and every word I write. Today, I remember her—not as the woman we lost, but as my sister. The one I tried to save, even from a distance. The Quiet After the Sirens began with her silence.
Read MoreThe Quiet After the Call
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.
NaPoWriMo Day 9: The Bell Beyond the Fog
By @RWhiteAuthor For today’s NaPoWriMo prompt, I wanted to capture the haunting weight of sound in stillness. Inspired by the way fog distorts noise and reshapes perception, this poem leans into rhyme and the echo of a singular, specific sound: the distant clang of an old …
Read More📝 NaPoWriMo Day 8: Ghazal – A Love Song
Today’s prompt was to try writing a ghazal, a traditional poetic form often used for love poems. Each couplet must stand on its own while repeating a refrain.
Read MoreNaPoWriMo Day 7 “Why I Am Not a Symphony”
Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt: Write a poem explaining why you are not a work of art. Mine? A chaotic self-portrait in sound. I am not a symphony.
Read MoreNaPoWriMo Day 6 – Cinnamon
By @RWhiteAuthor Today’s #NaPoWriMo prompt asked poets to explore the taste of something—through texture, sound, and emotion. Inspired by the spice that stirs both comfort and memory, “Cinnamon” captures the burn behind nostalgia and the golden weight of something half-remembered but wholly felt. Row Column …
Read MoreWe Played Terribly
By @RWhiteAuthor Day 5 of NaPoWriMo prompt is inspired by musical notation, and particularly those little italicized –and often Italian – instructions you’ll find over the staves in sheet music, like con allegro or andante. First, pick a notation from the first column below. Then, pick …
Read MoreWhy I Am Not a Painter
By @RWhiteAuthor Day 3 Prompt: The American poet Frank O’Hara was an art critic and friend to numerous painters and poets In New York City in the 1950s and 60s. His poems feature a breezy, funny, conversational style. His poem “Why I Am Not a Painter” is …
Read MoreMarch of the Writers – Day 31: To Be Continued…
By @RWhiteAuthor As March comes to a close, so does this incredible journey through March of the Writers. For 31 days, we’ve explored our passions, reflected on our inspirations, shared our challenges, and celebrated our writing lives. Each day has been a new opportunity to …
Read MoreMarch of the Writers Day 27: Secret Identity
By day, I save lives as an EMT. By night, I weave tales of shadow and intrigue. Two worlds, one soul—living the ultimate double life.
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