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Date	Original Topic
30th July 2005	A poem of rorkes drift By John Lock I have just found your site and thought the following would be of interest. I have found the story of the Heroism shown a facinating subject. Only yesterday i visited the grave site of Colour Sergeant Bourne, and also took a photograph of it. RORKES DRIFT. 1879. ------ DURING THE DAY, ONLY SOUNDS FROM BIRDS OF PREY, CAN BE HEARD AROUND RORKES DRIFT. SET AMID’ST THE VALLEYS HEART, FLOATING HIGH, UPON THE SOUTHWINDS LIFT. IN THE VALLEY LIES THE HEART OF THE SCENE, WHERE IN 1879, MEN STRETCHED EVERY NERVE, TO DEFEND THEIR HONOUR AND THEIR LIVES, AGAINST THE ZULU’S FIERCE RESERVE. PITILESS WAS THAT ONCOMING RUSH OF ZULUS, ALL ARMED TO THE TEETH, AS THE SUN GLARED OUT ITS HEART ON THOSE, DEFENDING HONOUR AND LIFE BENEATH. BUT THE CRIES CAN STILL BE HEARD, WHEN THE WIND IS VEERING WEST, FOR IT BRINGS THE GHOSTS BACK, SETTING EACH, TO THEIR OWN FRENETIC TEST. AND SOMETIMES WHEN THE MOON IS GLOWING, HIGH UP, OVER THE HILLSIDE’S TOP, YOU CAN SEE THE WARRIORS STREAMING, DOWN, RUNNING DOWN, WITHOUT A STOP. THEN THE CRIES OF ANGUISH MAY BE HEARD, AS THE WIND, GATHERS ACROSS THE VALLEY’S PLAIN, LIFTING UP THOSE LONG DEAD SOULS, WHOSE DEATHS WERE FILLED WITH PAIN. BUT DEATH HAILS ITS HEROES TOO, AND RORKE’S DRIFT HAD ITS FILL, AND YET, MANY STOUT HEARTS STILL SURVIVED, TO SPEAK ABOUT, THEIR COMRADES GORY TALE. SO MANY VC’s WERE WON THAT DAY, WITH HEROISM, COVERING THEIR OWN EN-NOBLING FEAT, WHICH BROUGHT TOGETHER SUCH MEN OF STEEL, WHEN THEY HAD THEIR PERSONAL FATE TO MEET. J.R.LOCK © 1999.
Date	Replies
31st July 2005	Edward Bear See also http://www.mcgonagall-online.org.uk/poems/lpghero.htm Certainly brings tears to the eyes! EB
1st August 2005	Dawn And for something different. Not a poem but a song by Johnny Clegg and Juluka. A perspective from the Zulu side. Viewable at www.johnnyclegg.com/afrlit.htm Dawn
11th August 2005	Rancid Pebble In May I went to kwaJimu And stood amongst the graves And someone came and pinched my bum and I said 'Oi! Behave'