The w***e bath

Sometime we must think and make wise decisions.

The w***e bath
 
 Large shining teeth.
Telling me the way to heaven.
 
 I will find my way to paradise by the gift to his christian cause.
 His teeth seem to shine brighter.
 
His mumbling of a thousand words.
Leave me feeling dirty.
 
I get a damp cloth and wipe away the words of a greedy man.
 
 
 The captain tells me.
" I own you. "
 
"You do what I say.
Even  to death.
I'm in-charge."
 
 I try to wander away.
 But he keeps speaking.
 
I feel dirty and go to the latrine.
I get a damp cloth.
 
Another w***e bath in a life where the words are eating away at my soul.
 
 I sit in a classroom.
 The instructor asked me?
 
If I was ordered to kill.
Would I?
 
I tell him I would kill him first.
But my words become weaker with each second the instructor speaks.
 
 He shower me with his blood song and I began to understand.
 
The sweat pours down my face and I go to the bathroom.
 
One more w***e bath for a man drowning in useless words.
Forced to accept for a few pennies.
 
Beliefs only a mercenary could believe.
 
  Maybe if I was a high paid w***e.
 
 I could live with the things I must do.
 
 But nothing as bad as a cheap w***e.
 
                     Coyote
 
 

Author's Note

Two Soldiers in Iraq were told no prisoners. They killed two Iraq men. Is this a excuse to kill or a man who did not use wisdom?

Reviews

[Dennis Shanaberg]

Wow.
I'm amazed at the skill used in this poem. The different levels of interpretation in it are reminiscent of some of the greatest classic poets. I see traces of Eliot and Dickinson in these lines, and that alone is impressive.
All of these different "w***e baths" are all tied together in their questions of morality, and it leaves the whole concept of it so mirky.
This appears to lie in the fact that neither the preacher, the teacher or the captain truly can see the truth. An amazing piece that I am happy to have the opportunity to have read.

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Dennis for reading and the comment. You honored me with your comment. No-one win in war.

[Ruth]

It most certainly is not, love, I think we feel the same about these things, the instructions we all receive - well, we have to remain vigilant and stand away from that pressure! We have lost the one true fact that we need to remember! We must feel and see with the heart, not the mind controlled mind! Excellent poem! xx

[Robin]

you show us the shadow that stretches between law and judgement , blind faith following decreed orders . our ability to make wise choices is our saving grace . in a kill or be killed world , decision is left to instinct .

war sucks ...

[Christina May Shanaberg]

Life is one big 'w***e bath.' You used to be able to hideaway in nature and the words, even, find you there. It seems there is no place to go, so I wash away stupidity with tears. I smile and walk away, only what I let destroy me can. Wonderfully written and so true; these people make you feel dirty by just being in their presence.

[Elizabeth]

Really interesting concept, "the w***e bath." Words really do eat at a person's conscience. I'll be honest with you, I never even really cared about war or what soldiers go through or the atrocities that are committed until I started reading your writing.

But I think that sometimes it isn't a matter of wisdom or following orders, it's a representation of how desensitized a person can become to death. My mom's fiance fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said to us once, "it just didn't seem to matter anymore. What's one more death? I had seen it all already." I'm not advocating murder, I'm just saying that the thought process can become so distorted and desensitized to morality and such.

Anyways, this is brilliant. You honestly make me think long and hard every time I read your pieces.

[Gandré]

war is a tragedy. Wars are made in name of tribes, nations, countries but it's only the man out there, who has to deal with it. You apparently used your memories to explore experience fragments by stating them in their most extreme form, I like how you remember us. The video game industry should read this then our kids might be more sensitive, playing other challenging games than war games. always strong writing. Great job!

[jeff hackworth]

i love the deep meaning

[Bear]

Sorry it took me so long to read this write... it is fine and TRUE and had me thinking from a different perspective.

Thank you!!
Sallie Bear

[LeeLee Ryder]

" The W***e Bath" definitely hits a homer and truly questions the A=moral ideas of WAR ...
Blood baths are not my cup of tea, so the military is out for me ... Using war is an excuse is so bizarre. Can't fathom how soldiers live with death every day...
You nailed the grit & "whorific" side of War.. Bravo!
LLR

[Dark Angel]

Soldiers are ordered to do something, they are expected to do it whether they agree with it or not. Morals should be upheld in the Military but in a way the Military runs different government than what we've grown up in. It's not a democracy. I wrote a discription about it once and how the soldier almost stopped what her commander told her to do but she was so well trained to never hesitate against an order that before her finger could respond to her logical mind, the child lay lifeless at her feet. Not all soldiers are like that, I'm not saying they are, but there are some who take what they do so seriously and to the max that "right" and "wrong" don't exist; it's them against the enemy, whoever the enemy may be.