“Just men”
Death Valley
Just men
A Poem by Coyote Poetry
First job in country of Kuwait in 1992. Move the dead frozen bodies from Death Valley. I learn every life had value. I learn to pray for strangers.
(I got to Iraq. My first task was to move the frozen dead bodied of Iraqi soldiers
killed at Death valley.)
Listless and cold.
We moved the frozen dead bodies.
Men who were slaughtered by planes at Death Valley.
Air Force sent them to their god and paradise.
Four soldiers doing what we are told.
Working in silence.
My mind opt. out of thinking of the bodies as men.
No-one tried to claim the bodies.
We were told to move the frozen bodies to a larger storage container.
Then it would wait for somewhere to be ship.
Four men discussed the task after.
Joe told me he wanted to pray for them.
He asked me. “Does anyone care about these men?
I told him “somewhere there is a mother and
family who is heartbroken and sad.
They don’t know if these men are alive or dead.”
“Guns and bombs don’t give a shit who they kill.”
Joe forced us to pray.
He asked God to help these poor men on their journey.
He prayed they can go home and find peace.
We sat in silence.
Funny part after we pray for the frozen bodies.
We looked at the containers with different respect and eyes.
We went back to moving the dead.
We put them down with ease and kindness now.
Coyote
January 2009
You have been through so much…I respect you for sharing your heart in context of these memories.
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Few bad days and a lot of good days. I like the army life. I saw five continents and 40 countries. I learn all people want the same. A safe place to live, food and opportunity for work. Thank you for reading and the comment.
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People do want the same, don’t they. As I listen to an old Johnny Cash record from when he was at San Quentin, I think to myself – no matter what time, no matter where, we all share the same emotions. We are all human. Thanks YOU, for all your beautiful poems.
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You are welcome and Johnny Cash knew the truth..
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John – this is a reflection / memory will never replace or forgotten. You reminded me of my previous experience at the army. This is so touching!
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Military teaches us to try to understand life and all people are the same. We want opportunity and our family safe. Thank you for reading and the comment.
Coyote
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Beautiful reflection John. Too often we forget about the humanity of those who are “not us.”
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You are right. War take without conscious or reason.Thank you for reading and the comment.
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Very emotional, thank you for sharing your experience john. Sometimes we are driven more by our responsibilities even if it hurts us doing it along the way. Bless your heart and the other men who was with you.
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You are welcome. Was good men I served with. They try to make good out of bad situation. Prayers are needed to balance some things we must do. Thank you for reading and the comment.
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Wow!! I wasnt there but I can only imagine. I have a question though, how did you survive all these? The death, the war, the violence- just reading the poems make my heart weary. ❤
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The human spirit is tough. I saw in Africa where people had very little, They survived. We learn to accept what we must. Some soldiers did struggle. Each of us are built different. I re-tools my life. Found reason and purpose to be alive. All of us need reasons and purpose. Thank you for reading and the comment. I do appreciate.
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“Guns and bombs don’t give a shit who they kill.”
Do the humans using them give a shit? Hmm… ._.
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A hard subject, Soldiers are to defend borders. New wars are for land and oil. Religion and race is used to cause separation. Sad part it is working. No-one want to be killed or kill another. Profit is made by contractors. I hope my Grandchild won’t be fighting made-up wars. Keep the Soldiers home and allow the other countries to fix themselves. Ancient places don’t need guns and bombs for peace. Gun shipped don’t create peace. Thank you for reading and the comment.
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I’m sorry if my comment was offensive I didn’t mean it to be 😦
“Why?! Why did they do this?! Who started all this?!” is what I often ask, in my mind. There are still many good people in this world by why is this still going?
Maybe my thoughts are too shallow, caused by the lack of experience, I’m sorry…
Is it even possible to stop what has been happening for a really long time? A cycle that always repeats over and over again?
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You didn’t offend me. Like you. I don’t understand the hate. I spend three years in the Middle East. Just men, woman and children wanting to live. I’m tire of war. Been few days of peace. I wish we could change the cycle. USA spend 1,2 trillion on war and 80 billion on education. What is more important to the USA?
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Maybe, maybe… the hate is a mask of hidden intentions…
I umm… still want to figure out the real reasons behind all the decisions they have made, maybe it’s not just greed, hate, desire for power, maybe it’s more and more.
Maybe the media exaggerates, maybe they don’t. Maybe it’s also psychological.
Just men, women, and children wanting to live, so why?! Still the whys…
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Look at the USA budget. There is your answer. 25% of budget for the war machine. Howto stop? Less government and fix your own country. Should be common sense. How about free college and create jobs.
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I’m sorry for my lack of knowledge >.<
Governments. Yes, governments. In my country the people still so depend on the government, and the government still depends on the changes made in the USA.
Free college seems almost impossible here 😦 Does it seem possible there?
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I like the quote from a Great President. Roosevelt said. “The children are the wealth of a government.” I wish today leader would understand this. I don’t see any chance of free education except for places like California. Few places are logical.
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Yes, and wish they would value and embrace the children in the best way hehe, keeping them safe from the future of destruction or separation.
I wish things can go better there 🙂 be it free education or many other things ^^
Thank you so much for the reply ^^
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You are welcome.
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