He had a small family and was happy
His world was easy to understand
But so few knew
He had a past
He was a defender of the land
And what he had to do
Didn't leave him mentally healthy
His home in Latvia was captured
By the Soviet Union
The liberated by the Nazis
On their way to complete dominion
Of the lands east, for living space
And a boy who saw terrible things
Took up a rifle and escaped
To the forests
And joined the partisans
They were called the Forest brethren
And they fought any invader
They resisted fascists
They fought communists
And long after they could have won
The Forest Brethren remained
Ready and willing
An angry tribe
They were animals, wild
Never tamed
And eventually
The heroes who had survived
Tasted liberty
What was done
Faded into memory
But those who had fought
Knew the cost
Names like Jānis Pīnups
Saw the release of their lands
