"I. M. Draza Mihailovich (Murdered July 18, 1946)" - A Poem by British Poet L. Aaronson (1917-1948)

Aleksandra's Note:  A special thanks to Mr. David Vuich who shared this powerful poem with me. I had never seen or read this before. The poem, "I. M. Draza Mihailovich (Murdered July 18, 1946)" by British poet L. Aaronson, though written a long time ago, resonates today in even more ways than the poet probably intended when he penned this tribute to "the brave Serbian" who became a martyr on July 18, 1946.

Sincerely,

Aleksandra Rebic

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Where are the thunderers who once could speak


The Language of the Prophets, when the weak


Were broken and the good oppressed? Where are those


Whose words were cleansing fire, till there arose


The phoenix-armies from the martyrs' dust


To make the word the deed, oppose the lust


Of tyrants and proclaim the prophets true?


Where is the gratitude our fathers knew


And santuary and penance for wrong power?


Did Milton fail the martyrs, Gladstone cower


Before the ruthless? Was the public pen


Careful of epithet? And public men --


Were they afraid to say: "Alas we erred


And now confess our error. Let the word


Go out, perhaps to save a soul and save


Our souls"? Today the coward and the knave


Are kings. These are mean times. If it be doom,


Our tongues, at least, are free and there is room


For utterance that salves us if not saves.


Why should we ape the silence of graves?


And even these have epitaphs as tongues.


Since power is dumb before the powerful wrongs


Let one small voice salute the Serbian.


With shame at first, then prayer for that brave man.





L. Aaronson
July 1946

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If you would like to get in touch with me, Aleksandra, please feel free to contact me at ravnagora@hotmail.com

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