Cannot Erase Love
I take your medal out of the treasure box every once in a while
nestled in between hair locks baby shoes and sepia photographs
it portrays a powerful image of glory success victory and loss
and reminds me of ambiguities effort strength youth and deception
Mom you won the laurels as a young German diving champion
summersaulting from the high platform of contest and stealth
your only fault was that of living under Nazi rule and contempt
for equality diversity human rights minorities and ethical laws
But you were still a child in age and at heart innocent and naive
jumped into the waters of body and mind as a juvenile protege
The Allies wanted to confiscate the reward under Denazification
eager to erase evil from history books and the lure in admonition
Your father pleaded to let you keep what was yours to cherish
earned without ideological stride but competitive dedication
and the American officer relented took the badge to a goldsmith
to return it once the Svastika had been erased from the trophy
When I look at the accolade today I see proud eyes and sadness
dust it off at regular intervals and remind myself that all politics
are personal and it’s rightly impossible to escape the verdict of time
but my love for you has never faded as you rest in heaven and weep
9th March 2021
My Mom was thirteen when she received the medal
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