ScrappleFace: Schroeder's Poem 'Footprints' Wins EU Competition

Schroeder's Poem 'Footprints' Wins EU Competition

(2003-04-29) -- German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder collected a €25 prize for winning the annual European Union poetry competition held at The Hague. The following is the text of Mr. Schroeder's poem, entitled "Footprints".

One night I had a dream...
I dreamed I was walking along the beach with a giant
and across the sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints,
one belonged to me and the other to the giant.
When the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that many times along the path of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest
and saddest times in my life.
This really bothered me and I questioned the giant about it.
"Giant, you said that once I decided to be your friend,
you would walk with me all the way,
but I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life
there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why in times when I needed you most,
you should leave me."
The giant replied, "When you saw only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."

In other European news, the commander of U.S. forces in Europe announced yesterday that American military leaders are "reanalyzing our footprint" of troop deployments in Europe. The analysis will likely lead to a redeployment of some of the 60,000 U.S. troops now stationed in Germany.

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Brilliant. I bet you hear that from all the girls.

Posted by: margi at April 29, 2003 06:28 AM

excellent.. let them take care of their own defense from now on. If France has a problem with a rearmed Germany that is FRANCE's problem, not OURS anymore.
Enough armchair quarterbacking from Germany.
We will let you show us how it should be done.
And we will complain about every little mistake of yours and show extreme SCHADENFREUDE when you fail. In other words, behave just like you....

Posted by: amiexpat at April 29, 2003 06:54 AM

Devilishly subtle, Scott. :-)

Posted by: daryn at April 29, 2003 08:07 AM

I thought the last line was "when you saw only one set of footprints, it was because I STOMPED YOUR A$$ INTO THE SAND, you ungrateful piece of dog crap!

Posted by: tired of whiners at April 29, 2003 12:45 PM

Whiners
or, one set when we ran off like a bunch of pansies and hid until it was safe to come out again (or election was over).

I'm all for it. Screw 'em. keep ramsein open, but award the friendly countries with contracts and money from our troops, all the other ungratefull bas#@%s don't deserve it!

Now that the have their new little club (france, germany, belgium and luxemburg) and their new sign that sais "no males allowed". I don't know about you guys, I'm not worried about the first 3 countries, but luxemburg scares the crap out of me with their big population and industrial output. What will we ever do without them...hahahahahahahahahah what a joke!

Posted by: Justin at April 29, 2003 01:01 PM

Wait a second, wouldn't the giant's footprints be much larger than the other person's footprints?

Are we to believe that the two sets of prints are indistinguishable from one another?

Is this some kind of magic giant whose feet are the same size as normal men?

This poem sucks.

Posted by: kazakisan at April 30, 2003 03:33 PM

I believe it was Schroeder that exposed his inattentiveness in discerning between his footprints and those of a giant's.

That being said, one could only wonder what some of the other entries were.

BTW, Just how 'smokey' is a Smoking Gun?

Posted by: The Great Cosmic Joke at May 1, 2003 12:12 AM

Schroeder's poem should be more aptly titled "Das Boot". Funny, as ever Scott.

Posted by: Harden Stuhl at May 3, 2003 02:38 AM

This poem was written as a religious poem and it has been established that the author is in fact Margaret Fishback Powers. The "giant" is the "Lord" in her poem.

Posted by: Mark Byers at December 13, 2003 11:02 PM

It is so sad that a beautiful poem such as "footprints in the sand" was taken so lightly.War, enemies and hated are evil feelings, has nothing to do with the care and love of our Lord Jesus.
As he said in the cross "Father forgive them because they not know what they are doing"
Gos bless you all, and open your eyes to the soon second coming of the Lord!!

Posted by: paloma at April 23, 2004 07:45 AM