Muted, all the same painful. I had to explore a bit online to find out what Anzac meant and signified. I knew it had something to do with Gallipoli, but not much more. All I knew from years back was that the Australian and New Zealand troops were trapped against cliffsides while the Turkish troops rained down firepower at them.
This was supposed to be Churchill's bright idea, I gather. I'm amazed he had a career after that.
I think I shall have to read more about this.
Ken
On Apr 24, 2012, at 6:07 PM, Max Richards wrote:
> Anzac Day 2012
>
> Another chance missed
> of attending Dawn Parade.
>
> This time, instead
> of sleeping in, I wake
>
> early to rain, bow my head
> to its sound, not the Last Post.
>
> My nephew's class, he tells me,
> have been learning about
>
> soldiering and history.
> Did I know why the brim
>
> turns up on the Diggers'
> felt hat? Because when
>
> they lifted their rifles
> to their shoulders, biff
>
> and the hats would fly off.
> Yes, I say, and yet
>
> when I was eighteen
> I was a foot-soldier
>
> in the New Zealand Army,
> and our felt hats had brims
>
> not turned up, lemon-squeezers
> everyone called them -
>
> we drilled, we sloped arms,
> no-one's hat went flying.
>
> No, in my day there weren't
> wars to be sent to. Lucky!
>
> I offer to mimic the Last Post
> (in a Chinese restaurant
>
> it's my portable aural
> Shrine of Remembrance)
>
> but he lets me off.
> Two lucky generations,
>
> mine and his, 'sacrifice'
> mere lip-service.
>
> Max Richards
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