The dirty long-haired freaks asked for trouble
Marching to protest the visiting Shah,
Pelting police officer's with rubble.
Despite clouds of tear gas, they'd not withdraw.
Bearded Iranian thugs joined police;
Savagely beating the raw student horde.
Through violence the protesters would cease.
Their youthful words could again be ignored.
A 'ringleader' sighted amidst the crowd
Was siezed by the police and flung to the ground.
The deadly report was stunningly loud;
Benno's brain destroyed by an errant round.
The heavy hand of the Polizei
Did not checkmate the students' noble aim.
It ignited their passion to defy,
Like pouring gasoline upon a flame.
For thirty years the Leftists waged their war
Bowing to no governance but their own.
With bombs they spashed their nation with gore
Until each had become a Stasi drone.
Author notes
Prompt: Patriotic in one sense; the other just blind
On June 2, 1967 German students clashed with riot police while protesting a visit from the Shah of Iran. The protest turned deadly when a policeman's gun discharged and killed Benno Ohnesorg. This incident sparked the German student movement and led to the formation violent terrorist orgainzation known as the Red Army Fraktion (RAF). RAF terrorists, somtimes allied with the PLO terrorized Germany for the next 30 years.
After the end of the Cold War in 1989 it was found that the RAF had been funded by and sheltered by the East German state police (Stasi) for most of its existence.
In this poem who is the patriot? Who reacted blindly? Police? Protester? Both?
Image Source: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/11/14/article-0-064F5B260000044D-737_468x359.jpg
In a list
A contest entry
- Prompt-Inspired Rhyme by wandyway.
1100 points, ended August 6, 20 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
1 - 18 of 18
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Whoo, green trophy and claps for you
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Thank you very much for the HM. It is much appreciated.
Mike
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Totally agree with guradianhost, this write really is thought-provoking.
"A 'ringleader' sighted amidst the crowd
Was siezed by the police and flung to the ground.
The deadly report was stunningly loud;
Benno's brain destroyed by an errant round."
Fantastically blunt, and a brilliant take on the prompt. Both sides were patriotic in one sense, and the other just blind to the disruptions of peace in the country they so adored.
Wonderfully shocking rhyme. Thank you for entering my contest, and good luck x -
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Thank you very much for your comment I am glad you enjoyed the poem. I was in Germany during the second generation of the Red Army Fraction's attacks and robberies.
Mike
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Thought provoking
takes us out of our comfort zone - into - reality. Thank you for reminding us of the world at it's uneasiest times. We soon forget and grow far too comfortable in these skins.
Excellent write.
Thank you,
Cheryl
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I am glad you enjoyed this poem. The Baader-Meinhof terrorist group outlived its founders by over 20 years, though most of their activity occurred in the 1970s. Originally, they were contemporaries of The Weather Underground and the Red Brigades.
Thank you very much for reading and commenting.
Mike
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A very powerful piece here Mike, you remind me of my history professor from school ...Wayyyy back when
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Hhmmm. Do you mean to say I am dry and boring? Gee, thanks.
I am glad you enjoyed this. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Mike
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a good poem though there are many punctuation issues i read within the first couple of verses here
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Thank you for reading and commenting. I appreciated the criticisms and reviewed my puncutation errors. I am glad you enjoyed it.
Mike
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You always do great with the history genre..it's your thing..This one is well done as per your usual. Best of luck!
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I have mentioned this part of history to a few people over the past year. Most have no idea who the Red Army Fraktion was. When you say RAF they think it is only the Royal Air Force. I was standing on a street corner in West Berlin in 1979 when the RAF robbed a bank. I saw the chase.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
Mike
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Thee dirty long haired freaks asked for trouble this is really a excellent poem you have here. Thank you for sharing and it was a pleasure to read.
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At the time, the dirty long haired freaks could be a description applied to most left-leaning college students. The one killed as a ringleader was actually a bystander and a pacifist theology student. The radical left has always maintained that he was intentionally shot. Like the incident at Kent State College in the US, neither side was entirely blameless.
Thank you for reading and commenting. I am glad you enjoyed the poem.
Mike
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Well
My take on this is that if the group was political funded and incited to cause a riot, unless they lived under a repressive regime, they were not the patriots. Now in Iran those that are portesting seeking freedom, to me they are patriots. But hell the world is filled with young, Utopian seeking revolutionarys. Now this did peek my interest.
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I dont think that any of the students other than the leadership of the student unions and the communes knew the extent to which funding and strings were being pulled from behind the Iron Curtain. With age comes wisdom takes on a new meaning.
Thanks for reading and commenting. I am glad I could peak your interest.
Mike
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hmm, the students shouldn't have been protesting for such a stupid reason. just because the shah of iran was visiting they decided to make a whole riot about it?
well, good poem, nice rhyming. -
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Thank you for reading and commenting. At the time, protesting the Shah of Iran or similar despotic right wing regimes was popular among left wing students. The original RAF was less politically motivated than later members. They have been referred to as terrorist chic. The were contemporaries of The Weather Underground and the SLA in the US, Black September in Palastine, and the Red Brigades in Italy.
I am glad you enjoyed the poem.
Mike
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