Discipline

Gold cherry

By TJW

Thu, 17 Nov 2022
  • 548 reads
15 comments
 

Be still 

aim 

trigger finger on the

trigger guard

shoot him now 

he's gone too far 

stayed too long 

gave him two weeks

that's a deuce; 

if what, so what? 

ain't no side calling a 

truce 

Be still 

keep your zero 

got his body mass in my 

sites: 

wanna be a fucking hero? 

Be still 

breathe in 

out 

fire between heartbeats 

feel the rhythm

unfeel the kick of the rifle

so here's the "trick"  - 

left copper wire on purpose: 

pick it up and you're against

us 

Be still 

decide 

let him go or make him 

abide 

by 

the rules of our engagement: 

pick up the wire 

get lit up 

Helluva an arrangement

ain't it or 

ain't it not? 

Be still 

trigger finger off the trigger

guard: 

body mass in scope

zeroed in 

ain't hard 

to decide whether to 

Be still or 

squeeze ease testify to the

trigger 

I pulled it real easy 

now you're dead 

really hard 

point blank and period

because I was not still 

under orders to 

fire at will 

Now you're a casualty

casually

killed 

by 

me 

and I am now still 

drunk 

without the will 

to be honest and kind 

warring sublimation

SUBLIME 

Be still

aim 

shoot 

without shame 

or 

let him go to fight another day

kid 

teen 

somewhere in between: 

any male over twelve was an 

en 

e 

my 

and my trigger finger

on the trigger

Be still

or squeeze since I'm zeroed in 

anyway

little fucker 

JUST RUN AWAY 

and I won't have to shoot

and you won't die: 

then again 

if you fight another day you 

sure as shit will try 

to shoot me 

so my trigger finger is free 

to obey the discipline in 

stilled 

in 

me 

so the trigger is squeezed 

goddamnit

so there won't be another day

discipline

goddamnit

why didn't he 

run 

away?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Certificate 18
Non-fiction

Comments

Submitted by Ewan on

That's a question I never had to answer, since all my wars were listening wars at some 30,000 feet's remove. I'm sure I'm responsible for more deaths than you, just by listening and telling the FAC where to send his Close Support aircraft, but those 30,000 feet make it easy not to think about.

Still, you are addressing this in your own way: the only way, I think. Just remember, you'll never know the answer to that question, and it's not your fault that he didn't run away.

Excellent work. Keep going.

 

Gibbous House:  Ewan's 1st Novel No Good Deed :  Ewan's 2nd Novel At the Back of the North Wind Ewan's 3rd Novel
 

Submitted by TJW on

Appreciate that, Ewan.

V/V/R 

TJ

 

 

Submitted by marandina on

You bring home the myriad of conflicting emotions that must run through someone's head in those circumstances. I think I would have the same thoughts. There are no real answers in warfare but your humane conscience serves you well. You care. Which counts for a lot. Paul 

 

Submitted by TJW on

Appreciate that, Paul.  It's hard to care and kill,, it's when you kill and not care that you start worrying.

 

V/R 

TJ

 

Submitted by celticman on

Bomber Harris when pulled over for carelless driving, laughed when he was told he might have hurt someone. He was, of course, responible for the deaths of tens of thousands. 

 

Submitted by celticman on

I was thinking the exhalation and inhalation. The meditation and purpose is something like poetry. 

 

Submitted by TJW on

Control your breathing, shoot between heart beats.  Helluva truck, comes in handy for other things besides shooting. Can't tell you how many dead would still be living, or at least not dead because of us, if they had just kept on walking, run away, but they stopped, picked up the wire.  We got roasted by the media and peace mongers for "baiting" but shit, tactics aren't always fair. Appreciate you stopping by.

 

V/R 

TJ

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

This powerful piece is our Facebook and Twitter Pick of the Day

Please share/retweet 

Picture Credit:https://tinyurl.com/3exyfv3s

 

Submitted by TJW on

Color me surprised.  And grateful.

V/R 

TJ

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I didn't know about this, looked it up. It is a horrific position to put someone in. I don't know what to say about your poem, other than that it illustrates brilliantly, powerfully something which seems very wrong, to me. memories like shrapnel

 

Submitted by TJW on

Very wrong to you?  The baiting or putting someone in the position of killing someone who's been baited?  Now don't get worried, honey, just asking, honestly curious cause we were ordered to stop doing it (as broadcasted on the news) and if we stopped doing it was left . . . anyway . . . two weeks to evacuate. If you're a male still hanging around you are a combatant.  And why else would anyone pick up whatever we left as "bait" if not to make an IED?  Gonna light you up before you blow us up.  Much obliged, darling, for your time.

 

V/R 

TJ

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Yes. Because if there is not a particular opportunity to make a device then that particular device would not be made. If someone creates temptation when there was none, is it really the fault of the one who is tempted?

also (I don't know, but I am guessing) in wars people are hungry, and maybe what was put down as bait, if sold on, that money could feed a family? 

however, the person in the horrific position would be the soldier with their finger on the trigger, watching. The one picking up the bait is oblivious - what happens to them if they "take the bait" is the result of the horrific choice a soldier with a concience is ordered to make, knowing (because the soldier in this case thinks about the results of what they do, because they do care) that they will live with that 

I did not mean for the comment to sound like a criticism, I am very sorry if that is what comes across. Your poem is brilliant.

 

Submitted by TJW on

DH, if the strength of your words reflect you then you are strong so stand your ground and stop apologizing for your feelings.  Criticize the hell out of me if that's how you feel.  You're a darling.

 

V/R 

TJ

 

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Jack

Your poem is brilliant, and heart felt.  We who don't go to war can never appreciate how things were.

Jean Day

Submitted by TJW on

Hey there, 

     Just want to say hey.   That's all.  

 

X 

V/R 

TJ