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David Selzer is a writer of poetry, prose fiction, screenplays and stage plays. He embraces digital platforms to share his work of more than fifty years… READ MORE
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THE ABATTOIR AT MAZINGARBE
The Last Absolution of the Munsters at Rue Du Bois, by Fortunino Mattania, depicts an event which took place on 8th May 1915, near Neuve Chapelle. The push for Aubers Ridge had been postponed
because of rain. But the Saturday
was dry and sunny. Going up the line
in the early evening, the battalion
stood easy at the shrine to Our Lady.
‘…in remissionem peccatorum…’
By noon, next day, nearly half were dead,
caught on the German wire Haig’s ill equipped
artillery had, once more, failed to cut.
In Mazingarbe, an industrial town
ten miles south, the British commandeered
the abattoir. The first to be shot at dawn
was a Munster regular from Cork.
‘…in nomine Patris…’
4 responses to “THE ABATTOIR AT MAZINGARBE”
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David, you are really on a roll. ALL this batch of poems are wonderful. Keep up the good work!
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I really like the opening lines – “The push for Aubers Ridge had been postponed because of the rain” – the awfulness of war alongside the humdrum everyday-ness of rain.
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[…] Selzer presents The Abattoir at Mazingarbe posted at David […]
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I live in Mazingarbe, within 500 meters of the old abattoir, your poem moved me ………
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