News Archives: My Story, My Soldier
Tuesday, November 10th, 2015
GPRC Student Natasha Bergeron read her award-winning French Remembrance Day poem Mon Histoire, Mon Soldat at the Alberta Legislature on Nov 5.
Bergeron, 18, a first year GPRC student who is taking her Bachelor of Arts, wrote the poem, which translates in English to be titled My Story, My Soldier, won second place in the Grande Prairie Royal Canadian Legion poetry contest. Her poem went on to win first place in the district and then first place provincially.
The graduate of Peace Wapiti Academy in Grande Prairie was invited to present her poem at the Alberta Legislature.
Below is Bergeron’s original poem in French
Mon histoire, mon soldat
Je me souviendrai toujours
De cet élégant jeune homme en uniforme
Mon premier baiser et amour passionné
Ce valeureux soldat
S’en allant au combat
Malgré les chances contre notre amour fou;
Une flamme d’espoir jaillit en nous!
Ces précieuses lettres,
Dans lesquelles il me faisait rire et sourire
Me sont éternellement une source de plaisir
Le moment le plus redouté a fini par arriver
Le garçon du télégraphe à ma porte à frapper
Mon cœur c’est effondré,
Mon héros est décédé.
L’hiver qui a suivi n’était qu’un horrible rappel de cet injuste sacrifice
La brise légère apporta doucement les cendres, de mon cher Alexandre
Sur la neige blanche, les coquelicots rouges sang reflétèrent les couleurs de mon drapeau.
Les années passèrent puis mon heure est venue,
Je l’entends chuchoter mon nom en me caressant la main
Nous sommes finalement réunis…
Pour l’infinis
Translated into English
My Story, My Soldier
I will always remember
That elegant young man in uniform
My first kiss, and passionate love
That valiant soldier
Going off to battle
Despite the odds against our passionate love;
A flame of hope burns within us!
Those precious letters,
In which he made me laugh and smile
Are eternally my source of happiness
The dreaded moment finally happened
The telegraph boy knocked at my door
My heart collapsed,
My hero had died.
The following winter was only a bitter reminder of his unfair sacrifice
The light breeze gently carried the ashes of my dear Alexandre
On the white snow, blood red poppies reflected the colours of my flag.
The years passed by and my time has come,
I hear him whisper my name as he's caressing my hand
We are finally reunited ...
For eternity.
Watch the CBC French coverage of Natasha reading her poem here.