The Forgotten Ones
By L. Tamas, 1967

When bombs engulfed a city
      When loved ones lost their lives in the air
When families separated, never to be found,
      Then there lay courage; a virtue rare.

When soldiers youthful, full of life,
      Went to battle to die in strife,
When falling bombs did death declare
      The common people showed valour fair.

But that is passed, mixed with legend
      Tales of fighting men truth, surpass.
But the product of their deeds, their glorious deeds
      Is now so foolishly taken granted.

Stories of courage, of valour of daring
      Are twisted, turned, fame and fortune-bound.
All are stories of high-ranking soldiers
      But nowhere is a mark to the brave commoners to be found.

I am a ghost of long ago,
Long past many winters of green and snow.
I was the one who stayed,
While soldiers on the fronts braved,
I was bombed, shook apart.
While they fought with war rules,
I was weakened, cursed, forced, used like tools.
While they fought with guns against guns
I fought barehanded at rifles with courage done.
I had no rules, no armored tanks strong
I was demolished, my race but all gone
While deeds of valour exaggerated much
Got into peaceful countries’ youthful clutch
I was killed, beaten to dirt