THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE - VE DAY OBSERVANCES

By Debbie Bulloch


Second Life’s THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE recently sponsored a special event in remembrance of Victory Day in Europe or VE Day. VE Day marks the official end of War World II fighting in Europe. In Europe the day is observed on May 8. In the US it is observed in late May, as Memorial Day (in remembrance of all the men and women who have died fighting this country’s wars). Incidentally, Victory Day over Japan (VJ Day) marks the end of hostilities against Japan, on August 1945.

Please go to The Learning Center’s blog for more details and additional information about all the event and projects sponsored by TLE.

Here is a video of the event. Some of the images may be disturbing for some.

VE Day Remembrance with Holocaust Survivor in Second Life from Pooky Media on Vimeo.

Finally, as part of the remembrance, TLE sponsored a poetry contest. The poems submitted will be published in a book commemorating the VE Day event.

My father was German and even though we never spoke about it, I know that he carried a lot of anguish over the events surrounding WWII. He was a very sensitive and moral man who was deeply troubled by the events that took place in Germany.

I submitted these poems for TLE VE Day poetry contest. I now dedicate them to my Dad’s memory for he too was a victim of the horror that swept over his land.

I HEAR THE SOUND

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear the sound
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear my Mother singing in the kitchen.

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear the sound
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear my Father snoring in the study.

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack
I hear the sound.
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack
I hear my sister playing with her dolls in the front porch.

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear the sound.
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear my dog barking at the neighbor’s cat out in the yard.

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear the sound.
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear the train rolling into the station.

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear the sound.
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack
I hear the door sliding open.

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear the sound.
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack
I hear the soldier yelling, “Off the train!”

Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear the sound.
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack,
I hear the sound of my stolen innocence.

TEN AND EIGHT

I turned ten and seven,
“There is no more flour to bake you a cake,”
Mother said.

I turned ten and seven,
“The Fatherland needs you!”
The old man said.

I turned ten and seven,
“There is no more leather to make you shoes,”
Father said.

I turned ten and seven,
“Take this gun and fight for your land,”
The sergeant said.

I turned ten and seven,
“There are no more flowers to put in the vase,”
Sister said.

I turned ten and seven.
“Victory will soon be ours,”
They all said.

I turned ten and seven,
And I was sad.
Because in my Fatherland,
I would never see,
Ten and eight.

I HEAR THE DISTANT ROAR

I hear the distant roar,
I run and hide.
I feel the distant thunder,
I run and hide.

In the skies above,
Faceless men pilot metal birds.
On the ground below,
More faceless men battle each other.

Day after day,
I look into my mother’s eyes.
Hoping to divine,
My father’s fate.

And the metal birds still fly,
In the skies above.
And the men still battle,
On the ground below.

The blood of a thousand faceless men,
Runs like an angry river.
Blood from different lands,
Blanketing the burning earth.

The metal birds spit out bolts of fire,
That cover the land with softly falling metal-jacketed raindrops.
While the faceless men,
Dance a mortal pirouette around desolate fields.

I hear the distant roar,
A child runs and hide.
I feel the distant thunder,
Another child dies.

All poems. © Copyright 2009, DB. All Rights Reserved.