Tyler James Carroll is a father of four and a husband to his high school sweetheart. Their home is in a suburb of Dallas, where he works for the local fire department. Prior to that, he served as a combat medic for the US Army. He is currently pursuing his MFA in writing at Lindenwood University. He also co-founded an independent publishing company, Dead Reckoning Collective. His poems can be found in the collections Fact & Memory and In Love … &War: The Anthology of Poet Warriors.
Step. Slide. Step. Slide. Boots on. Pull up. Arm. Arm. Zip. Pants. Jacket. Hop. Close door. Buckle up. Headset on. My eyes finally open. “What do we got, Cap’n?” falls out of my mouth. “A residential fire alarm.” My watch tells me ...
