You must not sleep I awoke one night from a strange dream, it was like a voice speaking to me, remote like a undertow - and I stood up: What is it you want? - You must not sleep! You must not sleep! You must not believe it was only a dream! Yesterday I was convicted. Tonight theyve raised the gallow. Theyll pick me up at five tomorrow! All the basement are filled, and all barracks has cell by cell. Were lying and waiting in stone cold cells, were lying rotting in dark holes! We dont know ourselves what is waiting, and whos the next they will be taking. We moan, we scream - but can you hear? Are there absolutely nothing you can do? Nobody can see us. Nobody knows our fate. Even more: No one will believe what happens here daily! You think it cant be true, that such evil is not possible to man. There are after all decent people around? Brother, you have still a lot to learn! It was said: You shall give your life, if its demanded. And now we have given it, in vain, in vain! The world has forgot us! We have been deceived! You must sleep no more tonight! You must not go to your business venture, and think about your wins or losses! You must not blame the land or cattle, and think that this is more than enough! You must not sit in your snug home, and say: Thats sad, poor people! You must not endure so very well, the unjustice that does not affect yourself! I shout with my voice, the last breath, you are not allowed to go and forget! Forgive them not; they know what they do! Theyre breathing the glow of evil and hate! They enjoy the killing, the moaning excites them, they want to drown us all in blood! You dont believe it? You know it, I know! I know you know that children are soldiers, that flows with song over plazas and streets. Egged on by their mothers piety, will defend their country and go to war! You know the low of peoples deceit, with glory, with faith and honor - you know that a hero, the child will dream of, you know he will wave the sword and the flag! And then hes sent into a rain of steel, entangled in a barbed wire reel, and rot for Hitlers aryan race! You know, that is the meaning of it all! I didnt understand it. Now its to late. My judgement is fair. My sentence deserved. I believed in progress, I believed in peace, in work, in solidarity and mostly, in love! But those that dont want to die in a flock, get to try it alone, at the hangmans block! I shout in the dark - if only you could hear! There are only one thing left to do: Help yourself, while your hands are free, Save your children! The World is burning! Arnulf Øverland -1937-
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 05:38:48 +0000
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