Heroes
For Ellis H. Evans 18 8 7-1 9 1 7 The Shepherd war poet Hedd Wyn Many Moons ago before I was born a story was told of a great king called Kuva Likenye With tears in his eyes, Kuva invoked ancient spirits they heard his voice, his lamentations, they came singing. “Djembe Kumbi Eezrewa Etongi Etongi Ndi Mawongor Wanna Wa Njuma Ezraweya Evonda ya Njuma emuka Ja’ataneya ndo Mavanni”. With the spirits, Kuva built a wall, a kortoh, outside the Kortoh, German war machine raged. Many moons ago before morning breeze greeted my face, a war was fought in a distant land. It was, as Owen said, “Dim through the misty panes, and thick green light. As under a green sea”, That “old lie”, in droves they died.
Hedd Wyn went, a journey of no return. Beyond the horizon young boys young girls, quake in their boots of what might or might not come from behind the wall. Mothers dressed in sackcloth picking empty bullets shells, in reverse. In this fight, in this great war, only the maggots win. Many moons ago tales were told of soldiers – dead and buried in distant lands souls roaming craving for one last journey home, Hedd Wyn was there, lost. They found them dead at dawn , bodies littered here and there holes on their helmets one soldier, eyes open , as if following the path of his death , In his right hand was a note. Eric Ngalle Charles Commissioned by Literature Wales and funded by the Welsh Government for the 2019 Holy Glimmers of Goodbyes event CYMRU’N COFIO WALES REMEMBERS 1914−1918 |
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