27 April, 2015

ANZAC ‘ed out 2015




ANZAC ‘ed out 2015

As we know….
They shall grow not old,
Lives cut short
Terminated
Denied parenthood
Pleasure, creativity
Reflection
Grandchildren
as we that are left grow old:
Lamely, sullenly
Prematurely
Age shall not weary them,
As they tirelessly
Struggle
To keep their minds
Together
nor the years condemn….
The leaders who
Recklessly sent so many
To their deaths
At the going down of the sun
As it always does
and in the morning
We will still
Avoid asking why
We will remember them.
We said
As we ignored
Their problems
The cries of their loved ones
Partners and children
We only want
The official narrative
To prevail
The people who did
What they were told
Even secret, awful acts
Abandoned
Of no more use
Thanked only
With sanctimonious courtesies
For perpetual war

Willy Bach © 2015
Footnote:
Willy Bach 26 April 2015
After an Evensong at St John’s Cathedral, Brisbane
Re Casting the words of the famous excerpt from Robert Lawrence Binyon’s poem, “For the Fallen”, The poem was written in mid September 1914, a few weeks after the outbreak of the First World War.
“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.”