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.

[larryb]

Well done and to the point....................

[Jonathan Ballam]

This was a tale well told except for one part which bugged me.

The line "the words are eating away at my soul" should be re-looked because it's a cliche I've heard one time too many.

Infact I'm not a huge fan of the word 'soul' since it's been used and abused in the name of religion and mystical poetry and hymns.

So that would be my only hesitation.

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

Wow that was intense and gritty, the surreal nature of the piece hits you hard in the gut but gets the point across so effectively.

[xJackie Mariex]

this was very deep and soul wrenching
and it seems like its not an excuse...
this was a tough decision...

[universe-explorer]

A man who did not use his wisdom, i would say.

The words:
" The captain tells me.
I own you. "
is just an excuse. No one owns no one. Just you decide to listen to somebody, because that is an excuse of passing your responsibility to the one who talks ...

When will the world learn?

[Theresa]

You brought forward questions of war that unfortunate soldiers have to face. Its a horrible situation. A powerful and thought provoking write.

[Allison]

This is great! It's sooo mysterious. Awesome mojo!

[bluessadmood]

what strong words my friend..i am having a strong flu
i was not going to write anything..but this really meant a lot to me
the question as are you ready to kill..and for what reason
i once wrote a story here ,if i was faced with an enemy and i had a great chance to kill
but i will never do it ,i will give him that chance,,he may kill me..thats the difference between humans and animals
sorry if i may get bitter here,i really mean it in general..you dont know my friend how this war smeared the name of the US
i personally could give causes and pretext and not be so bitter ,even seeing lots helpless get killed
but take the general population.they are never that educated..so now even in a hundred years
the US will be a great enemy to the Iraqi..i assure you before that war ..most of my people had some great regard to your culture and way of living
you were like a symbol to everything thats good..especially when you carried the democracy and made it like a religion to
preach to the whole world.but then came the war(and Mr Bush )..i have seen some American short film documentaries
American soldiers say they were tauhgt that they are sent to Iraq to kill..i swear thats what they said
the soldier was crying telling this..he said his orders were so clear ..he says every time he remembered
what he has done..things and killings unforgivable..i really felt sorry for him..his wife too used to tell
how their lives turned to something like hell..this whole thing was really un necessary in any way
i assure you it has nothing to do with terror ,they grabbed a chance to get to the oil fields
but to do that they had to kill and kill..its really tragic.i know even most of the soldiers had nothing to do with it..
lovely write..

[emmajoy]

War and all it represents desensitises the human spirit.

IF there can ever be a reason for killing another it is in need to protect those we love and care about from immediate hurt. For any man or woman to be told to kill another because someone on a chair sitting a centrally heated room says so is inhumane.

Animals who go mad are put down.. desensitising man means a form of madness, something akin to his nature .. so ..

We were giving minds to think and tongues to talk with .. we were born that way in order to create reason and respect ..

.. we weren't born with knives and guns in our hands ..

[Wicahpi]

Both I'd say, but then I've never faced the demonic forces of war, first hand.
Though, it's all a crying shame.