PAUSE A WHILE

by Garry Pieper

The cannons are silent and turned to the rear

The church bells ring out peace for all to hear.

One hundred years since the carnage is o’er,

The ethos of Australian life is changed evermore.

So gather bleached bones form cliff and veldt,

Pray that we are worth the pain that they felt.

So what is that to me?

Have you a soul so callous and spent

Not to honour the service of those that went?

To care not of the dead from those ancient wars,

Nor their values defended for peace evermore.

Let the dead bury the dead and let the dead remember.

What is this day to me? This eleventh day of November.

For freedom’s sake they suffered hell’s decree.

Freedom I was born with – so what is this day to me?

People pause here and consider these words tendered,

“Freedom is not gifted it is earned – then forever defended.”

Remembrance Day is not only for history’s sake,

Evil will prevail if our values we forsake.

In remembrance today we acknowledge and restate,

Our culture and morals that made Australia so great.

Let’s turn our mindset from ‘me now’ and apathetic way,

With mutual support think also on those who defend today.

One hundred years ago they knew ‘you had to give to get’,

And give they did. Lest we forget.