The friendly German speak beyond the candle
Was once grey guns in concrete vaults recoiling,
Was once long ruby flashes through the trees,
Was cold contempt.
Grim challenge flaring ruby in the night.
The friendly German speak beyond the candle,
Now mixed with English … English mobile phone …
Oh, generations long ago!
The speak has changed.
Where now the guns? The throbbing in the sky?
The blood?
These men are men.
The friendly German speak beyond the candle.
Same chequered shirt, same smile,
Same food same loves same needs,
Same hopes across the heedless passing years.
Same Nemesis to face.
The concrete dulls with age; the guns no more; the throbbing ceased.
Darwin be still, these men are men,
Our brothers in the helpless flow of time.
Darwin be still. Rest silent in your tomb.
These men are men ….
RAE, 30 Jan 1997
The friendly German speak beyond the candle
Was once grey guns in concrete vaults recoiling,
Was once long ruby flashes through the trees,
Was cold contempt.
Grim challenge flaring ruby in the night.
The friendly German speak beyond the candle,
Now mixed with English … English mobile phone …
Oh, generations long ago!
The speak has changed.
Where now the guns? The throbbing in the sky?
The blood?
These men are men.
The friendly German speak beyond the candle.
Same chequered shirt, same smile,
Same food same loves same needs,
Same hopes across the heedless passing years.
Same Nemesis to face.
The concrete dulls with age; the guns no more; the throbbing ceased.
Darwin be still, these men are men,
Our brothers in the helpless flow of time.
Darwin be still. Rest silent in your tomb.
These men are men ….
RAE, 30 Jan 1997