STAVROS HILL
LOURNJINA AND LIMBIA ARE IN CYPRUS ACROSS THE SEA
LIMBIA IS GREEK AND LOURNJINA IS TURKISH THEY BE
BEFORE THE WAR THEY WERE NEIGHBOURS AND FRIENDS
NOW WITH GUNS AND TANKS THEY FIGHT TO THE END.
THE VILLAGES LIE THREE HUNDRED METERS APART
THEY USED TO VISIT EACH OTHER BEFORE THE WAR START
NOW ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS KILL AND MAIM EACH OTHER
REGARDLESS OF THE TIMES WHEN THEY WERE ALL BROTHERS
BUT UP ON A HIGH POINT IS STAVROS HILL
CALLED BY MANY, THE KILLING MILL
NOTHING MOVES IN THE VALLEY BELOW
THAT THE MEN OF STAVROS DO NOT KNOW
MANY TURKS DIED TRYING TO TAKE THIS HILL
THEY NOW STAY IN THEIR BUNKERS, THEY HAD THEIR FILL
A TURKISH HEAD PEEPS OVER A SANDBAG WALL
BRINGS THE WRATH OF STAVROS TO THEM ALL
THE CANADIAN SOLDIERS PATROLLING THE GREEN LINE
HAVE TO STAY ON THE ROAD BECAUSE OF THE MINES
IN THE DARK WE SIT WITH OUR FIRES BRIGHT
AGAIN WATCHING STAVROS IN A FIRE FIGHT
MACHINE GUNS HAMMERED FOR AT LEAST AN HOUR
LISTENING TO THAT NOISE EVEN MADE BRAVE MEN COWER
MOST OF THE DYING LAID IN NO-MANS LAND
NO ONE COULD SAVE THEM, NOT EVEN GOD’S HAND
THEY CRIED THROUGH THE NIGHT FOR THEIR MOTHERS I GUESS
I CRIED TO OUR SAVIOUR, FOR THEM TO BE BLESSED
I COULD SEE ALL AROUND FROM THE LIGHTS OF THE FIRES
THAT MOST OF THE MEN HAD BEEN CAUGHT IN THE WIRE
THEY WERE LEFT THERE TO ROT FOR MANY A DAY
THE TERRIBLE SMELL, THE STINK OF DECAY
HOW COULD WE DO THIS TO OUR BROTHER
WHEN JESUS TOLD US TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER
IN THE GREEK LANGUAGE, STAVROS MEANS “CROSS”
I THINK OF OUR SAVIOUR AND THEN OF THEIR LOSS
ALL THESE DEAD MEN REGARDLESS OF RACE
LAY ON THEIR BACK, TO STAVROS THEY FACE
27 YEARS I HAVE BEEN GONE FROM STAVROS HILL
JUST LIKE THE TURKS, I HAD MY FILL
BUT IN MY DREAMS I CAN STILL SEE THE DEAD
STAVROS HILL IS STILL IN MY HEAD
Canadian Paratrooper
Missioned in the Canadian Contingent, UNFICYP
Cyprus 1974
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