Hero photograph
Amy Britten
 
Photo by Christine Gillard

Poem in remembrance of ANZACs, written by Amy Britten

Bev Bell —

Amy wrote this poem during our ANZAC study and presented it to the school and guests during our special ANZAC assembly.

Warfare

By Amy Britten

When World War One
had just begun
the Arch-Duke of Hungary dead
All the empires
hurried to take sides
with Germany hollering for the culprit’s head
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Britain wanted more men
so on the world’s other end
they gave each of our lads a gun
They shipped them away
near to the fray
“Shoot to kill,” they told our fathers and sons
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The stars, that night
were an unfamiliar sight
when bullets fell like rain from the sky
There was so much trauma, and gore
in the unending horror-movie war
the bloodstains from those who had died

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Distraught were the mums, wives and sisters
for their boys were not ‘home by Christmas’
in fact, many would not come home at all
From our little nation
10% of the population
in a pointless, bloody battle, they would fall
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However, on the twenty-fifth day
at the dawn of the sun, when the trumpets play
we honour every ANZAC who gave their life
Be it by heroics and gunfire,
or disease in the trench mire,
God bless their sacrifice.