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.

[Sheila Kline]

An intense, hit you in the gut write that brings full front the often horror of war that we don't often think of!
The title is gripping as is every word of your revelations of "make me want to get sick to my stomach" reality!
Well done Coyote.....others reviewers have captured the intent of your write so well that there isn't much more I can add. God, it hurts to think this happens!!

[Lena M. P.]

Your comparison to making a living by ill-gotten means is a implicit metaphor and very well handled. You also in few words explained the feelings of being soiled by these endeavors. A very powerful write.

[Honeypot]

First off I love the title of this piece. Its raw and edgy. The thing with a w***e bath is that it never really gets you clean, much like the people in the poem are never quite clean in their own minds. I can't even begin to imagine who is right and who is wrong in these kind of situations, but your poem does a wonderful job of making us think about their actions and the consequences of our own..

[Wildfleour]

Very intense. Whew.

[Star Wolf]

A very powerful piece. The pay is never really enough if your doing this for someone else and not your own beliefs. That's how it seems to me.

[Ladysue]

What a thought provoking piece. Very powerful way to write...

[Serend1p1ty]

A powerful poem.
I'll be honest & tell you the metaphor of the w***e house & the soldiers eludes me.
Yet I can still feel the sombre tone & the message is a thought provoking one.

Yours truly,
cloud6

[Undying Glory]

awesome work. it's just freaking nice and just so true. this just rocks

[John Murray]

As far as what Bud said about the men being broken down and turned into "killing machines" - its almost like on the movie Full Metal Jacket. Private Pyle was pushed to his limits, by his drill instructor and his fellow men, eventually he snaps. Where it's almost like he doesn't have a conscious and he finds no value in life.

[Sorry for this off-topic spill]

[Dressed in Poetry]

Chilling! I liked this piece a lot. I love the show Criminal Minds, and this made me think of something that would be on there. I particularly like the questions within the poem; it adds a lot to the narration and character of the poem.