Vorig jaar had Lieke een opdracht voor Engels om een gedicht te maken of krantenbericht naar aanleiding van de film ’the boy in the striped pyjamas’ die ze op school hadden gekeken. Samen hebben Lieke en ik toen dit gedicht gemaakt. Omdat we de waanzin van oorlog nooit mogen vergeten.
Hush now and listen to what I have to say,
an innocent child lost his life today.
And like him there are so many more,
who lost their lives in this meaningless war.
‘It wasn’t meant to be this way,
the wrong child lost his life today’
Those words repeating in my head,
Were the words my husband said.
I looked at him, could barely breathe,
my heart was filled with the pain of grief.
The man I had loved from the depths of my heart,
had ripped our family apart.
The wrong child, did I hear this right?
When is it ever justified,to even take one person’s life,
in gas chambers, with a gun or knife.
I was so blind, I did not see,
the things he tried to hide from me.
He took so many, many lives,
of sons and daughters, husbands and wives.
Hush now and listen to what I have to say,
a broken mother lost her son today
And like me there are so many more,
who lost their children in this meaningless war.
I want to scream so loud and say,
Please turn the clock to yesterday.
And bring my son this instantly,
bring him safe and sound to me.
So if there is a God above,
Please bring him back, the son I love.
And stop this endless suffering,
put him right back there on that swing.
I was so blind, I did not see,
the things he tried to hide from me.
And now the goodness of his heart,
Has torn my world apart.
And when they opened up the door,
they found him lying on the floor,
holding on to the hand,
of his little Jewish friend.
Hush now and listen to what I have to say,
My daughter lost her brother today.
And like her there are so many more,
who lost their siblings in this meaningless war.
When we stood there in the rain,
We knew life would never be the same.
I fell down on my knees in mud,
Because I’d lost my flesh and blood.
So please stop humming, please stop singing,
Please stop this rotten world from spinning.
He was my world, my love, my son,
His life had only just begun.
Hush now and listen to what I have to say,
an innocent child lost his life today.
And like him there are so many more,
who lost their lives in this meaningless war.
~ Lieke en Corine ~
