A Zulu Soldier’s Villanelle
Written for a history class assignment in school, “A Zulu Soldier’s Villanelle” follows a strict poem structure known as the villanelle, as alluded to in the title. Originally written in November of 2020.
Spears sticking through skulls, bloody bayonets.
Hope that the Zulu might conquer and thrive,
Only to lose after all the blood was shed.
In one battle only, a thousand redcoats hurt or dead,
Giving Zulus hope that their country might survive,
Spears sticking through skulls, bloody bayonets.
For fifty years, Zulu rivers ran red.
The enemy’s seeping red lips kept their spirits high,
Only to lose after all the blood was shed.
Zulu leaders marched the land after victories were led,
The stories of dead British brought them pride,
Spears sticking through skulls, bloody bayonets.
For the Zulu and their allies, a match was never met,
Waves of British soldiers brought in with the tide,
Only to lose after all the blood was shed.
After fifty years, the battles came to an end,
In Ulundi, where the Zulu would surrender or die.
Spears sticking through skulls, bloody bayonets,
Only to lose after all the blood was shed.
-Graphite Everything
