It's Still Life

A Journal of Thoughts from Last Week

To Saint-Malo: A Phoenix’s Breath

Peace.
For peace. For rest,
to set all those souls to ease.
Peace at twilight when
the wind has died,
and the Bay of Saint-Malo
opens wide to a pale lowly sky.

North, East, South, West,
and the soil in and all between.
Levelled. Burnt. By eighty-percent,
and there by man … justified.

Rise Phoenix from rubble’s war
its lore spurning bombs and fire.
No fire could burn, nor winds tire
the rise of the Phoenix’s lore – it
soared and tore, never shy of flame.

And the medieval walled city of St Malo
set its sights square upon the sun,
its flag returned and the wind it spun.

The ancient history of St Malo is well worth exploring, but this piece pertains to the WWII carpet bombing of the town in 1944 until the Germans surrounded, even though only a small contingent of Germans troops were in the city … briefly (from World Expeditions site)

“Saint-Malo’s good fortunes came to an end during World War II when the Germans, recognizing its strategic location and the strength of its fortifications, invaded the city in 1940 as part of their Atlantic Wall strategy. In order to destroy this Axis stronghold, the Allies repeatedly attacked Saint-Malo for two weeks in 1944 until the Germans surrendered. When it was all over, nearly 80 percent of the city was leveled by bombs and fire. With determination and dedication, Malouins began rebuilding in 1948, painstakingly following original city plans and using original construction materials so that today, there is no sign that most of this medieval city was constructed in the mid-20th century.”