TaÌˆgliche Omaha tribuÌˆne. [volume] (Omaha, Nebr.) 1912-1926, 1914-12-30

DYING GERMAN SOLDIER PENS THIS
MESSAGE TO HIS MOTHER

Noie-The following poem in blank verse Is an almost
nAlaiion Of a letter. written by an unnamed German holaie
MARK (Drandenbure). The original l. a rhymea poem y
~, write, .s,iossa, have b been 2 poet s,, o. great 2, - sal isli. sasea%bed
and Oct %, In the military hospital at Forbaeh' Lorraine
The bullet struck me, mother-t isn't serious
The fort before us spit is bombs ~ u.s.
Forward we stormed. Enraged, perhaps, ! yenureu
Too far, 10 close. The comrades lay around
forged ahead The %shapnela burst around me-
The captains order did not reach my ear
! saw the wire entnnRlcments before me- =,
Saw men IN red and hlue-and stormed with "hurrahE
A shock a fal-You mustn't think Vt hurts.
One feels his forehead, finds the hand is bloody,
And swoons and falls-and then one knows no more
Here in this hospital ! am well cared for.
lay as eieanly as with you at home,
Al home In bed-and gentle does the nurse,
So cleanly clad, look to my daily needs.
A nurse, o Mother, blond as Gretel is.
She is tbut does not want 1t known q countess.
Simply and modestly, and faithfully,
She labors for The comfort Of your son.
Though well she knows he's but a lowly peasant
So gently, mother, fixes she my pillow,
And keeps the cooling bandage fresh and clean,
With soft white fingers, beautiful and slender
She coos my head-her touch relieves the fever.
It's she who helps me TO send you this message,
The last, dear mOther-know it and be strongl
Just now / see the frs around our home,
In sandy fields our modest little house.
The evening sun is shining on the sunhowers.
Across the street | see the elder women
Look anxously for their yet missing chickenRi
The spottet COW is lowing from the stable,
And Nero barks along the tracks Of wheels
perhaps I was, Peters mare just passing byD
Ny greeting to them all, and to the flowers!
The doctors say, Of course-@ell, they will ever
Encourage one, If pressed to tell the truth,
pressed them too, and they expressed but hopes.
But afterwards / heard them speak in Latin
! think twas Latin-and / knew enough
I've fought with c~ourage-with the seythe man, too,
AS it behoOyes a German soldier, mother.
Tonight the sky was full Of stars. Tonight
| saw the graveyard round our little church;
Saw fathers grave and nearby little Lena's.
They still were densely covered with the clowslips,
As Il twere May-And | have felt it plainly
Father and Sister waith for me. o, mother,
Greet you the graves from me and tell them
That, as for me, they are to far away.
And do not weep! l lay my head in peace
Here at the empires frontier, in a place
Now by the right Of honest warfare ours,
Into an unmarked grave. But dare to hope
That by and by, in better, peaceful times,
Perhaps a landsman win adorn the spot
And sing, the wallet on his back again,
In leaving: "Twas a comrade brave, | had"
Loi mother, our great fatherland viii soon
Have. peace again. and what in storm and fire
Was lost to us will grow anew in time,
Though thousands win not live to share the harvest
Not ], dear motherl But | feel and know,
Though but a peasant, ! too, 7 18th my blood,
To save a portion of our land. And lo!
think my share lies yonder in the Mark;
IT'S neither town, nor burg, not cen a park;
OF ell Gods glorius gifts to Germany,
It's little, and yet much, which / have saved
Two little houses only-one is yours
And matched with straw, Unto the little windows
Of which often slyly stuck the pinksl
And Gretel, mother! All! our childish pranks
Lie far away. Now other children romp
Through streets and fields. 0, mother, go to her,
And only say: He fell" And If she weeps,
Say: "He has sent you greetings"
All! dear mother,
Yet one thing more. If (don't / know you well?)-
II it depresses you to see what gifts
They send, to cheer the soldiers at the front,
(our neighbor Klaus and others, wellto-do),
Just think you're poor and could not give as they;
And when the Lord of heaven does some day
Demand of you: What have you, woman, given
The Fatherland?" then say: 'SThe best / had
The best / had, o Lord, my only SON."