Keith Douglas(1920–1944)
Vergissmeinnicht
Three weeks gone and the combatants gone
returning over the nightmare ground
w e f o u n d t h e p l a c e a g a i n , a n d f o u n d
t h e s o l d i e r s p r a w l i n g i n t h e s u n .
T h e f r o w n i n g barrel o f h i s g u n
o v e r s h a d o w i n g . A s w e c a m e o n
t h a t day, h e h i t m y t a n k w i t h o n e
like t h e e n t r y o f a d e m o n .
L o o k . H e r e i n t h e g u n p i t s p o i l
t h e d i s h o n o u r e d p i c t u r e of h i s girl
who has put: Steffi. Vergissmeinnicht
in a c o p y b o o k g o t h i c script.
W e s e e h i m a l m o s t w i t h c o n t e n t ,
a b a s e d , a n d s e e m i n g t o h a v e p a i d
a n d m o c k e d at by h i s o w n e q u i p m e n t
that's h a r d a n d g o o d w h e n h e ' s d e c a y e d .
B u t s h e w o u l d w e e p t o s e e t o d a y
h o w o n h i s s k i n t h e s w a r t 0 f l i e s m o v e ;black
t h e d u s t u p o n t h e p a p e r e y e
a n d t h e b u r s t s t o m a c h like a c a v e .
F o r h e r e t h e l o v e r a n d killer are m i n g l e d
w h o h a d o n e b o d y a n d o n e h e a r t .
A n d d e a t h w h o h a d t h e s o l d i e r s i n g l e d
h a s d o n e t h e l o v e r m o r t a l h u r t .
1944