I’ve learned the trade of hostage talks,
the patient art, the measured voice.
I’ve walked the line where the captor walks,
and learned that “yes” is rarely choice.
I bow to those who’ve worked this case
for decades longer than my own.
They know the captor’s every face,
each tremor, freeze, and undertone.
I laugh at the probies, so new,
led by what they’ve read,
who think the rulebook’s tried and true
against a perp inside the head.
The standoff holds: we cannot win,
and he, the perp, can never lose.
Parkinson’s has laid siege within,
and every dawn brings fresh demands to choose.
Today he wants my steady hand,
tomorrow, takes his toll in full.
I bargain hard for what I can
to keep the hostage functional.
I’ll never win the standoff, true,
but I can win a talk or two.
I’ll hold the line, the last defender:
there are no terms of my surrender.
YOPD Grant Fund
Make a donation to help us grow our YOPD Grant Fund, providing meaningful, real-world support to individuals and clinics.
Terms of Surrender
About Eric Aquino