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O Verdun
Verdun of fame
Verdun
the symbol of heroism
could ever a small patch of land
command such fame
such awe?
for many you represent
supreme sacrifice
learned scholars tell of your glory
written in blood
inscribed in thousands of bodies
used as a slate
as paper
records of glory
those men who gave up their bodies
were they regular men
black men
white men
colourless men
the bullets and bombs
knew no difference!
they tell me
you harboured those brave men
those proper men
who spilled their blood
they tell me
you fed them
clothed them
all thousands of them
Germans, French, Americans
and oh yes Africans
all were merely men
but when I saw you
Verdun
when I saw you with
my own eyes
the abandoned canons
corroded bullets
large pits hallowed by
bite of powerful steel
I stopped to see you
in a new light
today you stand immaculate
worshipped – sacred
decked on all sides by monuments
"Dedicated to the Unknown Soldiers"
(to be continued) |
Khasu, Kona. “Verdun.” The Seeds of Time: A Collection of Poems. Mimeographed typescript. Monrovia, 1971. 33–34.
| Line | Typescript | Changed to |
| 24 | you haboured those brave men | you harboured those brave men |
| 31 | Germans, Grench, Americans | Germans, French, Americans |
| 34 | but when I say you | but when I saw you |
| 39 | corroded bullet | corroded bullets |
| 45 | worshipped- sacred | worshipped – sacred |
| (To be continued) | (to be continued) |
