O boulder, with pitch resin shine!
Flicker fine at night!
Fate and Fortune, thus we dine!
Sign, O line of sight!
Ichor in immortal veins?
Crenellate to hold.
No use waiting for the rains!
Sane and centrefold!
Explain, O my spark-lit brain?
Bone of throne and bane!
Blossom inward! Core and chain!
Melee, meet the main!
Gone and unreturned? We learned.
Oh, what we discerned.
Night of nail and ne'er-do-churned!
How the bodies burned...
Yellow streaks in starry sky?
Panels on the fade.
Foxfire, foment on the fly!
Beckon as ye bade!
Climate of the covenant?
Back the boneyard bright?
Feet of clay, about me plant!
Cant cerebral, kite!
Mortal life, upon the knife?
Who to target, strife?
Circumstances, rhyme or rife?
O Rhine River, fife!
Mountains of my life
never forgotten.
Rivers of my veins
flowing through my memories.
Green Swiss valleys,
far from my sight,
but always close to my heart.
My Alps where I was born,
bring to me the fresh air
to breath again.
I remember those summer days,
with my feet
into the shore waters
of the Rhine river,
or the long walks across
the charming countryside.
Oh, bohemian Basel...!
my birthplace.
Oh, my lovely Switzerland...!
you will always be my first steps,
my unforgettable dream,
a treasure in my mind...!
On the bluffs above the Lorelei Rock,
Overlooking the Rhine River near Bingen,
Is the Lorelei Ampitheater.
While stationed in West Germany,
Towards the end of the Cold War,
I saw there an awesome concert.
The main band was one of my favorite bands--
Possibly the best band America ever produced
(The only band that ever gave the Beatles any competition anyway).
Cheerleaders from the University of Nevada Las Vegas
Strutted and danced on stage
In uniforms, sarongs, and bikinis.
Rain didn't stop the show or discourage the spectators.
A significant percentage of the audience were young people,
Who liked the songs their parents treasured--
Songs about hot rods, love, and surfboards.
The song of the beautiful Lorelei below
Harmonized with the California sound above.
Prussia and the other states are moving like a juggernaut.
Each day, our forces are falling to the onslaught.
The German states and cities are united as one.
We have been no match for them since the fighting had begun.
We have all pledged our allegiance to our Emperor Napoleon.
However, in the early battles, our forces became undone.
Here we are in September of 1870.
Uneasiness in Europe has resulted in hostility.
It seems Europe’s biggest bullies had to fight it out.
The attack on Worth has resulted in a rout.
The Prussians are moving south, and we are next to fight.
Strasbourg’s defenses have been bombarded day and night.
Just across the Rhine River, we see their fortifications.
The civilians have been evacuated by Swiss delegations.
We have been ordered to defend to the last man.
However, our Emperor has been captured at Sedan.
This indicates that there is no relief in sight.
General Ulrich has ordered we make our stand and fight.
The Bishop of Strasbourg has pleaded to no avail.
It is only a matter of time before our defenses fail.