“A Cross in Flanders,” G. Rostrevor Hamilton

A Cross in Flanders

In the face of death, they say, he joked–he had no fear;
His comrades, when they laid him in a Flanders grave,
Wrote on a rough-hewn cross–a Calvary stood near–
“Without a fear he gave

“His life, cheering his men, with laughter on his lips.”
So wrote they, mourning him. Yet was there only one
Who fully understood his laughter, his gay quips,
One only, she alone–

She who, not so long since, when love was new-confest,
Herself toyed with light laughter while her eyes were dim,
And jested, while with reverence despite her jest
She worshipped God and him.

She knew–O Love, O Death!–his soul had been at grips
With the most solemn things. For she, was she not dear?
Yes, he was brave, most brave, with laughter on his lips,
The braver for his fear!

–G. Rostrevor Hamilton

About Victoria Janssen

Victoria Janssen [she, her] currently writes cozy space opera for Kalikoi. The novella series A Place of Refuge begins with Finding Refuge: Telepathic warrior Talia Avi, genius engineer Miki Boudreaux, and augmented soldier Faigin Balfour fought the fascist Federated Colonies for ten years, following the charismatic dissenter Jon Churchill. Then Jon disappeared, Talia was thought dead, and Miki and Faigin struggled to take Jon’s place and stay alive. When the FC is unexpectedly upended, Talia is reunited with her friends and they are given sanctuary on the enigmatic planet Refuge. The trio of former guerillas strive to recover from lifetimes of trauma, build new lives on a planet with endless horizons, and forge tender new connections with each other.
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