The Hidden Meaning of Words.

For several years, I have admired Violette Szabo, a member of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II.

Originally written for the author's fiancee, Ruth, who died in a plane crash in 1943, it was given to Violette as her code poem before she was dropped into occupied France in 1944.

The SOE utilized code poems to encrypt information from the enemy for the Intelligence Forces. Violette was given a poem by Leo Marks, a British cryptographer, titled 'The Life That I Have'. This 4-stanza poem was used as a code by Violette Szabo, a British agent of the Special Operations Executive who was ultimately captured, tortured, and killed by the Nazis. It gained fame through its inclusion in the 1958 film about Szabo, 'Carve Her Name with Pride'. Its simplicity, along with the historical events surrounding its use, enhances its poignancy.

The Life That I Have

'The life that I have

Is all that I have

and the life that I have

Is yours

The love that I have

of the love that I have

Is yours and yours and yours.

A sleep I shall have

A rest I shall have

Yet death will be but a pause

For the peace of my years

In the long green grass

Will be yours and yours and yours'.

July 2025