Artistic impression of
the girl of Longwy and Kaiser Wilhelm, by Jamie Mann.
September 1914 - early battles fought,
Had left their scars about Ardennes
And Sedan – in Northern France
The town of Longwy lay, almost
Crushed to little more than rubble -
Unlike more fortunate villages,
Or towns, that stood whole or in part.
Through this part of North France,
On route to Luxembourg, came
The German Kaiser to stop at one
Village - Bazeilles - The mood
That day, of Kaiser Wilhelm,
Had been one of benevolence.
With all the Bazeilles villagers,
That gathered to see the curious
Arrival of Germany's Kaiser -
Were possibly a little furious,
To see their invaders leader.
Amid those people came a face
That stood out from the rest.
Seeing her amid the crowd
The Kaiser gave a gesture to her
To step forward towards him.
The crowd that had gathered
Now parted – in silence the young
Girl came forward - her shawl
Tight round her shoulders.
A little confidence grew in her,
As she stepped to face the Kaiser.
Her boldness tempered by shyness,
The girl looked to the German
Leader, as he smiled warmly on her.
She knew that this foreign man,
Had challenged the liberty
Of France - he was only an ordinary
Man beneath the grand uniform.
Politely with a slight bow of a head
The Kaiser gave her an address
‘You are very pretty, mademoiselle.'
She understood his words -
On his making the request to have
His photograph taken with her -
Apprehensively she agreed to him.
Then the man with the box camera,
Energetically set to work - in a
flash
The task was done to satisfy
Their leader. With pictures taken,
The Kaiser turned to her, asking
What she might like as a reward.
Without hesitation came her given
Reply, ‘I do not want Bazeilles
To be burnt down to the ground.'
With a serious nod of the head,
The Kaiser turned to another -
Making request for pen and paper.
There and then he wrote an order,
That this village was now protected.
Since that time whenever a threat
Came the order, like a talisman,
Was presented to any menace.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1915.
Kaiser and French Girl – ‘Benignant Mood’. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 12
Jan. P.10. Col.6. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11336276/Daily-Telegraph-January-12-1915.html
[Accessed: 12 January 2015].
Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 12 January 2015).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered
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