Written piece
Our Thread is forgotten (Poem)
Danille Elize Arendse
South Africa
About this piece
The poem was written in honour of the South African Cape Coloured Corps. They were Coloured soldiers from South Africa who fought in the World Wars and have subsequently been forgotten from history. The poem serves to bring their sacrifices into remembrance.
Our Thread is Forgotten (Poem)
We have a thread, yet we are forgotten,
We were young and naïve,
We did not understand war,
We only wanted peace for all.
We have a thread, yet we are forgotten,
We left our families and our home,
We ventured far into an unknown land,
We were never ready for what we had to endure.
We have a thread, yet we are forgotten,
We fought for honour,
We fought against injustice,
We did not always win the fight.
We have a thread, yet we are forgotten,
We faced sickness and diseases,
We faced cruelty and despair,
We did not all survive.
We have a thread, yet we are forgotten,
We were hopeful,
We were cheerful in our affliction,
We never gave up.
We have a thread, yet we are forgotten,
We were courageous,
We made sacrifices,
We were still written out of history.
We have a thread, yet we are forgotten,
We want to be remembered,
We want our history to be revisited,
We are the South African Cape Coloured Corps.