Falaise – Mr G's Ponderings

Marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the ‘Standing with Giants’ installation featuring 1,475 silhouettes of soldiers, soldiers and airmen, as well as two female nurses, is coming to an end. The installation was completed in mid-April, and will be removed from 1 September. It is a dramatic depiction of the D Day Landings.(Photo by Piers Northam)

Last week, whilst staying with a friend in Falaise, I was able to share in the commemorations of the 80^th Anniversary of the Battle of Normandy. Known locally as the ‘Battle for the Falaise Gap.’ or ‘in military terms, the ‘Falaise pocket’. Just outside the town over 20,000 German soldiers made a final stand. On August 17^th when Falaise was fully liberated by Canadian, British and Polish troops they were able to move on to the decisive battle in the Normandy campaign.
It had taken since D Day on the 6th June to reach Falaise. By the evening of 21^st August the German army was surrounded. About 50,000 managed to escape but an estimated 50,000 were trapped. These all died. It had been a costly battle with heavy losses on the Allied side. By August 30, just a few days later, Paris was liberated and the remnants of the German Army retreated across the Seine.

*D Day memorial at the recently opened British Normandy Memorial, a joint commemoration with the people of France.*

Normandy Beaches.

You came as shooting stars
discharging fury from your boats,
intent on our death.
We defended land which was not ours,
uncertain of our rights,
but fear consumed us;
made us fight back.

We no longer fought for an ideology,
nor for the immortality of a band of evil despots.
We no longer cared for that,
as we showed the whites of our blinkered eyes.
We might yet win but all around us
death claimed our emptying souls.

And yet, we killed easily at first.
You were wading up mud-soggy beaches.
Your dying bodies filled with our shrapnel ,
wept blood into the earth.
And then, we too began to die,
our blood mingling with yours –
the earth also claiming us in that moment of killing.

We stopped being enemies;
not yet friends,
but lesson-bearers certainly –
for goodness, honour, freedom, hope and peace –
dare we say, love?
United in a vital task.

Send our message to Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza,
to Iran, America, China – to all the traumatized places
where they need the humility of liberation.

[GC 19^th August 2024]

When I was in infant school I starred in a small thespian production. My role was that of ‘Clerk of the Weather’ over which Ihad total control and I wore a top hat to prove it!. I was able to command thunderbolts, raindrops, wind, sunshine and so much more.

Last week in France, the dry spell, as in England, was interrupted by thunderstorms. Flooding followed before hot spells returned.

Inspired by my memories of that wonderful few moments of power, I wrote this little poem..

The Clerk of the weather has heard the peoples’ cry!
from his well stocked store house he scrabbles around
throwing thunderbolts over his shoulder
followed by a splendid light show of forked beauty
illuminating the indigo sky, crackling like witches!
His generosity knows no bounds as he adds thunderbolts and whirling winds.
Deluge after deluge of pooling rain deliciously kisses the ground.
The orchestra of thunderous drums beats across the sky
accompanied by a light show of immense power.

The Clerk laughs gleefully,
loving this reckless cacophany reaching down to crash upon the earth,
soaking into parched and thirsty ground.
But as the water floods across the baked soil the people cry;
Enough!, Too much!
Never satisfied.

The Clerk of the Weather draws breath and blows a wind so violent,
it drowns their protesting voices and buffets them into submission.
The Clerk thus reminds them just who is in charge.

Thunderstorm over Falaise. 17th August 2022

[Mr G]