Retrospect

Varied Verses:

Through tropic night, the Swamp’s foul breath Spread pall-like in a place of death.

On mangrove root a Shade was seated.

Reviewing life hut late completed.

His rotting corpse he contemplated.

The while he quietly ruminated: The boys are late—no. here’s the Hun, The Jap, and Fuzzy-wuzzy’s son!

Well, greetings, boys! What’s on the news?

What politician airs his views.

And loud expounds the reason why ’Tis meet that soldiers fight and die.

Or, blinded, grope in living hell.

That Gods of Greed may feast and swell?

Take you. my Jap, what did you get For shooting me?—My bayonet!

Look, over there your body lies, A breeding-place for worms and flies.

What of your sweetheart in Japan— A plaything for some wealthy man?

What virtue will your “Son of Heaven”

Bestow, your parents’ grief to leaven?

And you. young Fritz, where’s Hitler’s power?

As dead as us—sped in an hour!

See where his greed and crazed ambition Led him and us—into perdition.

And Fuzzy, here, bereft of wife, Of love, of children and—of life. ’Twas your bomb, Fritz, which did the work, • Then, zooming up from out the murk Of bursting flak, you climbed still higher, Then crashed—to dreadful death by fire.

The silence then the Native broke: All very true, those words you spoke,

But don’t forget you came to fight Here in this land-all mine by right.

Your preachers taught us first of Love.

The Joys of Peace, of Heaven above.

They told us of a loving God— And then these isles were drenched with blood!

The Jap then said: Poor Fuzzy’s right.

Unasked we swarmed down here to’ fight Our battles on another’s ground— And nothing but our deaths we found.

Our leaders’ lies! Now we may rue What fools we were, Fritz—l, and you.

Mein Gott! That’s true! quoth German Fritz.

We’ve blown each other’s flesh to bits, We’ve danced on wires the leaders pulled— How they must laugh at those they fooled!

Our countries too—mine and the Jap’s— D’you think they've learned? Perhaps!

Perhaps!

From here, the problem seems to be “Who can claim the victory?”

Victor, vanquished vainly fought At fearful cost for what they sought.

Ambitious greed, and Pride of Place Demoralise the human race.

We so-called dead alone have won The IDEAL PEACE. Our work is done.

Let those who would this tale deride.

Go quietly to the Swamp’s west side.

And hear the Shades discuss, each night This crazy viorld and its sorry plight

C. S. RAMSAY, Ha’apai, Tonga.