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Antill's Legacy
Contributed by
twinkletoes
on
Wednesday, 10th March 2004 @ 08:49:09 PM in AEST
Topic:
dedicatedpoems
|
We fight for the King’s country! Not your cherished Australian soil!
Where you young lads have sweated, for bread you did your toil.
Forget your hometown far away, your farmland and your kin!
It’s time to lay your lives down, so ask forgiveness of your sin.
Unload your rifles charge, with naught but guts and bayonet!
Today we’ll give Johnny Turk a lesson he shan’t forget!
I will send you all dashing out the trenches of The Nek!
Where you will make a hero of me, that Kitchener won’t forget!
I’ll spill your blood and spirit upon that barren ground.
And my name will be immortal at close of battle sound!
This worthless folly won’t cost me dear in bodily expense.
Our flag will fly in honour then your sacrifice will make sense!
"Good-bye Cobber-God Bless you." Was the message down the line.
"I wish I had of known you when our times at home were fine."
A generation bred to slaughter for Antill’s stubborn aims.
The beauty of this place comes from those young Australian names.
Good-bye Cobbers, God Bless you all; from dry mouth I force.
Words that don’t embellish acts as history beat its ugly course!
But they are the language of the lads that rest here underfoot.
And I feel comfort, that my embittered anguish, by them is understood.
I leave this tranquil place where so many learnt to die.
And look upon another hill in splendid sunlit sky.
Australia’s Southern Cross flays proudly, bold and large!
Can we bestow any sense to Antill’s hopeless charge?
Lesson, bloody lesson, was drilled! How to die that day.
Brave men dead and dying upon that battlefield they lay.
I declare they taught a lesson, to us and Johnny Turk!
Of gallantry, bravery and how mate ship do their work!
Copyright ©
twinkletoes
... [
2004-03-10 20:49:09]
(Date/Time posted on
site)
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Re: Antill's Legacy
(User Rating: 1 )
by twinkletoes on
Wednesday, 10th March 2004 @ 08:59:50 PM AEST
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WW 1, Gallipoli. A battle now known as The Nek, 600 diggers in 4 seperate waves charged up-hill, into the sun over a piece of ground no bigger than 3 tennis courts. The first 3 waves were ordered to do so, the 4th went to their death, without orders. Antill was the Australian officer in charge of this folly He ordered all rifles unloaded and bayonets fitted and ordered that his officers check that it was done so. Many Aussies (because of the movie Gallipoli) still wrongly think the British generals ordered this stupidity. Today The Nek is a quiet, barren field overlooking the Gallipoli penisula, one day I hope to go there and bury this poem into the soil in my own hand writting.
tt |
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Re: Antill's Legacy
(User Rating: 1 )
by Former_Member on
Thursday, 11th March 2004 @ 01:34:23 AM AEST
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I recently watched a documentary about Gallipoli, you couldn't make it up what those poor sods went through, this is another excellent write your war 'collection' is outstanding fantastic i'm glad i found this site and poetry like yours( im just sooo nice!)
all the best from your mate.
johnny. |
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Re: Antill's Legacy
(User Rating: 1 )
by venkat on
Thursday, 11th March 2004 @ 01:50:49 AM AEST
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"Lesson, bloody lesson, was drilled! How to die that day.
Brave men dead and dying upon that battlefield they lay."..
even if you bury this poem..truth is like an epitaph..that was to be installed there.
My dear friend..thanks for your heart warming friendly comments on my poems. venkat
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Re: Antill's Legacy
(User Rating: 1 )
by Former_Member on
Friday, 14th May 2004 @ 09:08:24 AM AEST
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I see i'm only the 25th person to read this. I'll be the fourth person to comment. I won't bother with critique, because that would be only an immeasurable act of pedantry in the face of such endeavour.
I have written story pieces, albeit more fiction than fantasy, and I think you did a magnificent job.
Commendations. |
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