Martin “Marty” Boyce

THE ANZACS

From all corners of a new land they came
For their God or their country or King
Now stone monuments hold all the names
Of those who sacrificed everything

In a hail of metal a new nation was born
As their blood bound the sands into mortar
From their loved ones arms they were torn
And sent of as fodder for slaughter

To charge at the enemy en masse
Where the bullets and shrapnel were rife
Day after day in that filthy morass
Clinging to some macabre semblance of life

In strange places their bodies now lay
Resting quietly in peace hard won
Far away from those they held dear
Across a distance parents grieved for a son

A lasting legacy is their epitaph
The ANZAC spirit of helping your mate
And those of us who follow their path
Know that these qualities are what make our land great

©Copyright 2001 by Marty Boyce

Author’s Note: This is one of my first attempts at writing