It is just cleaning the sewers when they back up
Putrid brown climbing out from every oriface on to the streets,
Smells that could be from Hell seeking the sun for its release.
The fresh air it contaminates as it oozes there before us.
I hear no trumpets that lie about it being glorious.
Those come from far away in thought and reality.
From those who in their duplicity must coax the bullets into the chambers
With flags and brags that minimize the slime, the fear, the dangers.
Metaphors can be useful and quite specific. I didn't notice the title at first. Was wondering whether it was referring to corruption, politics, capitalism etc. The reference to war is too general. It could as easily be any of the three I mentioned or a divorce if the pronoun were changed from "it" to "we". If you are intent on having war as your subject then mention one or more of them. Speak of the Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda for example. Of real events which occurred. If you wish to write a list poem then show your list. I don't know who was cleaning. I can see the above as a comment at the end. It doesn't work as an entire poem.