Texel - for the fallen - lest we forget

On two visits to the Dutch island of Texel I visited the Commonwealth war cemetery in the islanf capital Den Burg.

Those visits were very emotional for me because I was then (and still am) wrestling with my gender identity.

Back in WW2 the nazis made people who were deviants wear signs to stigmatise them and ultimately, kill them for being different.
These days I do not have to fear for a knock on the door because I am different too. I live in freedom and I can be variant and i am not deviant.
I had forgotten that freedom comes at a price....

For the fallen.

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

Laurence Binyon
Originally published in The Times on 21 September 1914

Category:

Education

Tags:

• history
• WW2
• WWII
• England
• Canada
• Australia
• New
• Zealand
• transgender
• transsexual
• Texel
• Netherlands

[FPoelje]

I sencerly hope the struggle with your gender identity will soon be over, so that you can find peace with(in) yourself and hopefully others will accept you who you are or want to be. I found your movie about the cemetery. I life on Texel, so I know the place ;-)

I wish you so much strength to be -you-..

[RezoChigogidze]

upsring of Georgiers !

[loetje]

WoW! Wat is die Tree of life een mooi ding, zeg! Hoop dat ik die nog eens in het echt zie; was nog nooit op Texel!