Armistice – Remembrance Day

Last Saturday, a small group of students from year 9 and 10 and some teachers made their way to the Armistice commemoration in Wezembeek. As every year, this took place at the memorial to the dead of the First World War. School groups from various schools in Wezembeek had also been invited to contribute to this commemorative event. The small square was decorated with European flags and a few elderly gentlemen in military police uniforms were present. There was some excitement as poems on the themes of Europe and peace were to be recited. But before they started, the students thanked us for the invitation, because nowadays peace is often taken for granted. But if you look at other countries in the world, you realise that peace is unfortunately not everywhere, even though it is so valuable and beautiful. Once again, it became clear that it is not a matter of course that Germans and Belgians can meet so amicably today.

The students chose the poem “Le Faucheure” or “The Grim Reaper”. It is by Bill Cadick and is about the Grim Reaper, who is a symbol of death:

LE FAUCHEUR 
 
Voilà, c’est fait. 
Une fois de plus, la claire campagne 
A nourri l’instrument du faucheur. 
Tout est silence, 
Le chaume au repos 
Est couvert de coquelicots rouge sang. 
« Où sont mes fils ? », la mère pleure, 
« Des gamins encore, déjà disparus. » 
« Morts, morts », soupire le faucheur, 
« Comme le blé à la fauche descendus. » 
Et donc une fois de plus 
La semence de la vie est répandue 
Dans la terre qui la couve elle est déposée. 
Mais ce n’est jamais terminé. 
Une fois encore, les jeunes hommes tous 
Du faucheur doivent nourrir le cruel instrument