Tuesday 9th February 1943

I celebrated yesterdays' anniversary by writing eighty lines of narrative verse, “Auf Wiederschen,” which I polished up tonight. Not too good though; not much of a theme, for one thing, and rather irregular.

“... Chaotically, incoherent,
as youth was ripped out by the roots,
at the end of all refinement,
while the thudding of soldiers' boots
carried him past her inexorably
he cried out, suddenly, desperately,
“Auf Wiedershen my love!”
and heard her softly call
“Auf Wiedeshen” above
the sullen footsteps' fall...”

This extract is enough to show where I got the idea from! - Sunday's diary!