Monsters

Noquarter4

 

In the landscape

Monsters dwell

Bearing misery and pain

Destroying all hope

 

Words with no promise

Just cruelty with hate

No compassion, no excuses

Just barbwire and dogs

 

Keeping their humanity

While surrounded by monsters

Holding hope tightly

As their music played out

 

Carrying their dignity

While surrounded by monsters

The camp band played

Restoring life from the dead

 

Pardoned only in concert

Seldom given quarter

Forced to perform

Playing to stay alive

 

Playing to get lost in the music

Playing to forget where they are

Playing to keep their humanity

Playing to stay alive

  • Author: No Quarter (Pseudonym) (Offline Offline)
  • Published: February 11th, 2020 12:41
  • Comment from author about the poem: I watched a film about musicians that were composing and performing music in the concentration camps in Poland in WWII. Being able to play an instrument saved peoples many lives and enabled them to hold on to their humanity and dignity. It inspired me to write this.
  • Category: Sociopolitical
  • Views: 11
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Comments1

  • Goldfinch60

    There is a quartet by Messiaen called "The Quartet for the End of Time" that he wrote while in a prison camp in WW2, he wrote it for the only four instruments and players he could find so it is for clarinet, violin, cello and piano - I think it is a wonderful piece of music telling of his time as a POW.
    https://youtu.be/QAQmZvxVffY

    Yes you can get lost in music. Good write.

    Andy

    • Noquarter4

      There is a Italian composer who has been collecting all the works written during that time in the concentrations camps. He is bringing the music back to life by finishing the unfinished compositions. He is also having orchestras play the music to bring it out of the camps and into the world where is belongs.



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