ANZAC + WW1

"a work in progress"

Just a fragment of an ANZAC soldier's story

Sunday, 22 May 2011 | 19:07

Dark and cold

Soldiers are on hold

And the waiting game grows old

While we lay in our muddy homes

I weep for Jerome

Who won't make it home

I can see people praying. Praying is big over here, everyone prays. They pray to live another day, to see their loved ones by the end of the massacre, of this war, and just to see the beautiful sunrise once more.

My body yearns for sleep

But awake, I shall keep

For at dawn the enemies will leap

I can smell the fear

Rising among my peers

The adversaries are near

The British were so convincing of their need for more troops, that both Australians and New Zealanders were forced into conscription.

We asked why?Why must we try?In this strange land, our fate is to die..

We went to war with pride

As they promised an adventurous ride

But, they lied

The posters changed weekly, taking us all on a guilt trip while British troops were risking their lives on the front line.

But we are here now

Leaving our herd of cows

To keep our vow

When we grow old

We will show off our gold

And relive the stories we told

As the sun rises, these thoughts will be drowned in the sound of gunfire, of shrapnel flying, of men dying. As the guns roar now, such thoughts are no longer with us: just the strong adrenaline rush of staying alive...

references:

http://www.anzacs.net/Diary.htm
http://www.anzacsite.gov.au/1landing/why.html

mcwilkins said on Sunday, May 22, 2011

A fascinating poem with some good ideas between the verses. Can you give some more information about the poem? Who wrote it? What specific event is it about? Where and when was it written?

Vivian NhanMy said on Friday, May 27, 2011

The poem is written by an Anzac soldier who is at war. He is fighting at Gallipoli in 1915, during the first few months of the World War 1.

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