Keeping rabbits
After the German army surrendered, life was tough
the army had employed many to do road work and
repairing bridges, the allies had bombed.
With freedom of movement to roam in the night
followed theft of food items like the man who
stormed into a bakery waving a rusty Mauser gun
stealing bread; the coal depot needed security
guards as did the sausage producer.
The police force was reduced, and many officers had been
fired since they had been Nazi sympathizers during
the war of occupation; mind, many trickled back
in uniform when trespasses were overlooked.
Of serious crimes, there was one who assaulted women
going home late, knocking them down and stealing
underwear, which back then was a bombastic affair
yet an intimate garment; the newspaper reporting
the case wrote, ladies' items had been stolen
In our time of need, my mother’s brother gave her
two white rabbits, the rabbits soon became many
sweet bunnies, and before we knew the flat was full.
A lady, from the posh part of town, bought the rabbits
her action had not been charitable, she was later
seen wearing a white fur coat.
Categories:
mauser, blessing, hilarious, humanity,
Form: Blank verse
The German guards stood their ground
When the Australians attacked throwing lead all around
But bullets don’t last in such a fight
And he made each one count as he thought he might
Each clip for his Mauser rifle was fed
As he placed them in with some lingering dread
And the brass bullet holders littered the ground
When a shot rang out and he fell down
The Australians won the trench and the detritus strewn there
That was left in the ground without any care
The war dragged on and the military metal was lost
As those who were left added up the cost
One hundred years on in a French cafe
A tourist bought the brass and wondered that day
What was the story of these strips and how they stayed.
© Paul Warren Poetry
Categories:
mauser, remember, war,
Form: Ballad