In the Serbian town of Valjevo there is a monument to Stjepan Filipović, a young Croatian communist and Yugoslav Partisan, who was captured by Axis forces in 1942. He was hanged (dates variously given as 22nd May and 22nd June 1942) by his enemies.
One of the most famous photographs of WW2 is the one of Stjepan defiantly addressing onlookers and giving a double clenched-fist salute from his makeshift scaffold (above, inset). His monument commemorates this.
I have often wondered whether this photograph was of a re-enactment later, rather than the actual event; it certainly seems strange that he was allowed the liberty to make such a gesture, given the bitterness and ferocity of the conflict. There is a casualness about the onlookers, and the man on the far left of the picture looks almost apologetic or embarrassed. But the graininess and the fact that it is the only known picture of the event persuades me that it is genuine. It is certainly dramatic.
I am fascinated by the details. The men on the extreme right and left of the picture could be Ustaše, from the uniform; there is one uniform that could be Wehrmacht, but the rest are an almost Ruritanian mixture. To the left of the man in the white tunic there appears to be a woman in a dark, knee-length dress; she seems to have clapped her hand over her mouth.
Please write a poem for me, inspired by the picture.
The only rule I have is this: No ethnic slurs about any of the peoples of the former Yugoslavia! The situation in the Balkans is still a troubled one, and AP is read internationally. The only exception to this rule is if you happen to write a “persona” poem or a narrative where you put words into the mouth of a character. However, I will disqualify any poem which I feel has over-stepped the mark, so be sensitive and careful.
Enter two poems if you wish.
(I might put in an entry of my own, just to make up the numbers, but I won’t be giving myself a trophy)
Contest is Over
- Contest was judged on June 14, 2008
- Rewards: Gold: 500, Silver: 300, Bronze: 200, Honorable mention: 1 people
- Final notes: It has become almost traditional to say, in final notes, that one wishes one could have given out gold trophies to more than one poet. I think this is almost cowardly, because at the end of the day a setter/judge has to give the trophies to someone.
Another trick is to give as many Honorable Mentions as possible. Same objection.
Awarding a small number of trophies and HMs is very subjective. I am conscious of the fact that perhaps I have chosen poems which I would not have chosen six months ago, or might not choose six months hence. I may well have left good friends "out in the cold" as regards trophies. So be it, because at times like this one may well put a poem that grabs one by the throat ahead of a "better", more sophisticated, better-crafted poem.
There were four podium places, and I have filled them with four fine poems. Someone had to win.
But to be honest, I HAVE left eight fine poems without trophies. I truly appreciated every one, and I thank you all for entering.
Contest Winners
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This moment Death is swallowed up in victory!• Commented on by judge. [remove]
- Error: Unable to find finalist item 4327869, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
- Error: Unable to find finalist item 4323779, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
Gold trophy winner
Silver trophy winner
Entries [11]
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"Who am I to meander
In passionate times?"by shepherd23 23 lines, 1 comment, on May 31 9:17 AM 2008• Commented on by judge. -
by Mairi bheag 71 lines, 11 comments, on May 31 9:46 AM 2008. In Ballad, Partisan, Revolutionary, Thoughts
• Commented on by judge. -
With nothing to lose but our chains, with nothing to give but our lives,by celticwarrior 16 lines, 4 comments, on May 31 3:43 PM 2008• Commented on by judge.
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But why did they let him speak?
On the scaffold the day he was hanged• Commented on by judge.
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Comments
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This certainly deserves a serious response, Mairi. I'll give the matter some thought and, if I feel I can do justice to the man's memory and what he stood for, then I will attempt a poem for your contest.
Bill -
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I thought of you, Bill, I must admit. There's a wee bit of a rebel in every Irish person, I think.
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How erudite
you are! -
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No, just a bit of a dilletante, I guess; but thanks.
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I am sorry, I withdraw my entry from the contest, not for anything wrong in the contest, but that it raise controversy with comment by Rheea which we do not think fair, but situation in the Balkans is delicate, and I wish to give no cause for any trouble. My intention was to write a poem, not a political dialectic, and I am unhappy that my poem is misunderstood this way. My fault no doubt.
The poem is now deleted. -
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Please re-enter it, as a new poem. It is impossible to consider the contest topic without, perhaps, entering into the politics; but no entry that I have seen (as setter and judge) has over-stepped any mark, and it is my opinion that counts here.
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I think you should take responsabilty for your own actions. Your friend said you had to be talked into entering
and you were not comfortable with it. I doubt my placing a comment in the box had anything to do with it. As far as the situation in the Balkins being fragile yes it is as it has been for a long time I doubt a poem by any one here will make or break the situation.
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Ah thank you so much for the opportunity to write for this contest. It is hard to do and now I have a little Filipovic trilogy, so very rewarding.
Thank you for the placings, and congratulations to Pastiche and Deerhunter. I also thought these were excellent poems. It said in one of the articles I read to research this subject that there were no poems for Stjepan Filipovic- now he has many that should redress that oversight for his personal courage. -
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Point me to that website. Perhaps I should canvas the entrants and see if they would like to have their poems donated to the town of Valjevo... or someone.
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I knew I have seen it- is on page 9 of that article
He Never Fell
Filipovic's triumphant last stand was an act of heroism and when he called for resistance and denounced the Germans, he was addressing a group, but his words touched individuals. Those present had to stand for one hour before his body, in silence, and it is only logical that some of them would reflect upon his words. He encouraged the masses and he affected the individual. However, the photograph of his last moment and the emotional bond, however slight, that each person has with the hero is the most convincing argument for the statue's survival during the war with Croatia. The casualties suffered by the Serbs during the Second World War were incalculably immense. Very few families were spared the loss of a loved one: a civil war, bloody conflicts with the Croat quisling-state, the German reprisals. It was a tumultuous time, a time of significant political and societal change in Yugoslavia. The country had been laid to waste by fighting and bombing. It was certainly a lean and desperate time for most, and there Filipovic stood, minutes before death, leaving his final words of faith and hope to his fellows: continue the struggle for freedom, don't give up, rebel, and if you are stopped in your tracks, make your last stand with glory and honor. Those are sentiments to which individuals can relate. Though a poem was not written about our young Partisan, his image and the myth that surrounds him are tribute enough.
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