Killer on the road

A re-write

Killer on the road

(Blessed is the man who can learn peace and justice without shedding blood)

A Poem by Coyote Poetry

(What good and bad we do in a life. The scars will always stay with us.)

                       Killer on the road

A Iraqi man sipped  his coffee and
he watched the military trucks drive by.

He looked to the sky and murmured a pray.
I will miss you my wife, my children.
He caressed his chest and
he felt the bomb wrapped tightly against his body.

His eyes are sad and he know he has no choice.
They killed his brothers and
they came to his country and torn it down to rubble.

He believed in an eye for an eye world. 
He will be in paradise soon and
soft tears fell from his eyes as he thought  of his wife sleeping alone.

Soldier with M-16 loaded and ready.
He told his buddy going to be a good night.
Going to kill a few of them damn  terrorist.

His buddy with a bible in his hand.
He prayed to survive the night without firing his guns.
He whispered  I pray I make it through the night.
Please lord keep me safe and let me go home soon.

The city was quiet and the soldier are on alert.
The gunner passed the coffee to his friends and
he told him, my eyes are seeing ghosts again.

He watched the morning light began to appear.
He thought of a mother and father waiting and hoping to see him.
He makes a mental note to call them tomorrow.

A middle age Iraqi man walked down the street in the early morning.
His hands are sweating and
he saw two soldiers guarding a government building.

The gunner asked his buddy was the man a ghost in the distance?
He put the bible down and he told him he is real.

The soldier looked at his bible and points his weapon at the man.

He raised his hand to halt the Iraqi Man.

The Iraqi man screamed out his daughter name and Allah.
Ran toward the soldier.

The soldier aimed his M-16 and shoot three rounds into the man chest.

The Iraqi man fell dead.

The soldier went to him and
he fell and asked god to forgive him.

He opened up the jacket of the dead man and saw the bomb and photos.
It still don’t bring comfort to the soldier.

The soldier sat on his cot.
He held pictures of a man’s wife  with two children.
He wondered why he has to kill this man?

He should have been home tossing a football with his brother or something.

He cries for the Iraqi he killed.
Old Sargent said he was a hero.
Those terrorist are just killers on the road.
Waiting for us to end their misery.

He brought his bible to his heart and tries to sleep.

The gunner wake him up.
He told him we are on again tonight.

He puts the bible on the table.
Dressed into battle gear and walk out of his tent.
He left the bible tonight on the table.

He had bad dreams.
He dreamed he was the killer on the road.

He would do his duty and go home.
He don’t talk of God or Jesus anymore.
He just wishes for the blood to leave his hands.

The gunner smiled.
He yelled maybe we can kill a few tonight.
His buddy smiled sadly and stared at the road.

                      Coyote

Author's Note

Just words

Reviews

[Paul Bell]

I suppose in simple terms, the soldier did his job.
If he thought he had blood on his hands. Well, he might have been picking up his buddy's body parts.
His God's way, if he was feeling bad about it.
You don't get winners in war, Just dead people, and broken people. Will it get better. The answer is no.

[Coyote Poetry]

You are right Paul. But two sides to every coin. Who is the enemy? Who is the friend? New wars deciding sides in countries who don't want our help. I saw Iraq before and after the war. I trained them and I fought against them. Time for USA to stay home and defend their borders and fix their country. Half the people, not working. This is the battle we need to fight. Education and create work. Not spend 1.2 trillion on war. I pray we learn. Can't change another country ways. My stepfather, he served in WW2 and spend time in Europe 1942-1945. He said. Only way to change a government. Blow them-up and kill everyone.

[Paul Bell]

You are right. America and Britain spend vast amounts protecting Europe. Getting nothing back in return. Time to leave the middle east. They'll find a solution at some point. In saying that. North Korea just wants attacked.

[Coyote Poetry]

North Korea won't attack. USA feed North Korea. No food and North Korea will fix their own problem. Bill Clinton boycotted all food to North Korea and he had them eating out of his hand.

[...]

When I read title . I think about the Jim Morrison.But this one is big deep look into war. Psychology kill and mercy. Find in inner self power for forgivnes . That s make this poem very strong piece. Well done.

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you my friend. No-one win in war. Just kill off the kindness of young men fighting for careless government.

[...]

Well said my friend. Great poem from your heart.

[Island Hippy]

Aloha John, this gave me goosebumps. Seeing war through a soldiers eyes and following his train of thought his regrets as the war waged on in his dreams. Incredible storytelling. Izzy

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you dear Izzy. Soldiers lessons are rarely sweet in war. After war. You learn. Home is wonderful.

[SJ Mullins]

I very poignant piece. It really tugs at ones heart strings. I have written a couple about terrorists, war, and the effects of war. It is so sad that we as human beings cannot coexist. This piece shows well the effects this type of situation can have on one thrust into this type of situation. Brilliant writing! Thanks for sharing!

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you dear friend. Soldiers do actions. Leave tattoos on mind and heart. It is sad. We send our best to war.

[Gee]

Never any winners, some just fare a bit better than others. War is over, never, dreams, nightmares will ensure it never ends.
Love the way this was written Coyote.

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you my friend. You are right. No winner in war.

[angelina neves]

very sad lovely poem...
...so many wars just for killing and killing... makes no sense... so many children and people with out countries and lives to live, always in the run, in pain...

[Coyote Poetry]

Dear Angelina. No winners in war. Both sides learn permanent scars. Thank you for reading and the comment.

[Weeping willow]

Wow! this poem,gave me goosebumps and took my breath away.Gives you a complete new insight to what a solider goes through over there.War is sad and brings nothing with it,but pain on both sides.Thank for sharing this;-]

[Coyote Poetry]

You are right my friend. No winner in war except the contractors of war. Thank you my friend for reading and the comment. I do appreciate.

[bluessadmood]

this,for these stories of war hatred and death I have lived them daily for years..even now blood and death is all around here..that some places are deserted simply for the foul smell of dead bodies thrown around you in masses..
I really don't have suitable words to tell you how nasty things really are here..I will just add that I came to think all this around us is just a play well orchestrated everyone enjoying playing his part in this well lots and lots of people so innocent dying to this hour this minute of time..it a city of death..bodies all around..at least little time past there was some human dignity left..now nothing is a taboo everything is OK this game of war is going just fine..lots getting so rich everyday..I don't say that all people around me who still have not died knows so well,so hopeless they only wait for the game to end...it's OK they say this place was just like a playgrouND for a war game..we just want it to end
Thank you,you did well writing this.

[Coyote Poetry]

I'm so tire of war and the cost of war is more than money. What do we teach our children? I pray for better days. I believe I left the world worst than my father left me. He left me Vietnam and I left a world filled with hate, fear and too many war zones.

[SOUL LESS]

I believe I have read a similar piece by you before. As before, War is strange and wrong. And it's incredibly painful when you realize that we as humans have nothing against each other: it's powerful lobbies and mega-structures that incite hatred and separation. And all those soldiers dying are not for some valour or animosity: it's just made-up hatred. Their lives are essentially worth nothing. And yes, the structures are such that war is now regarded a necessity. How many more will die till we realize that it is all a lie, a sham, a terrible inhuman business.

The poem I thought, was beautifully done: covers both perspective and one filled with evil. It's excellent. I wrote a similar piece myself about 5 years back, but it was nowhere near as good.

[Coyote Poetry]

It is a re-write. First copy needed some editing. Thank you my friend for reading and he comment.

[barleygirl]

This is stunning . . . just plain stunning me into silence. I can't even think of anything worthy to say, except to just bow down to your amazing ability to detail a realistic conflict in an even-handed way, not throwing around blame, but only striving for understanding for all sides. Truly mind-blowing piece here! (((HUGS)))

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you dear friend. I appreciate the comment. No winners in war. Just men trying to understand actions and deeds.