[Editor: This poem by L. E. Homfray was published in The Southern Mail, 23 April 1920.]
Anzac Day.
They died to guard our honour —
They died that we might live,
And we, in very honour,
Ungrudgingly must give.
They left their home and country
And all that men hold dear,
To face for us the battle,
Triumphant over fear.
For us they bore hell’s horrors —
For us they fought and died,
And we — shall we forget them,
Or coldly turn aside?
When we refuse to honour
The men who set us free,
God’s blessing shall forsake us—
Earth’s riches worthless be.
When we forget those heroes—
When we withhold our hand—
May shame be ours forever,
All shame on this our land.
And so we yield them homage
Upon this solemn day,
And to those men of Anzac,
Our debt of honour pay.
— L. E. Homfray.
Source:
The Southern Mail (Bowral, NSW), 23 April 1920, p. 2
Also published in:
The Robertson Advocate (Robertson, NSW), 23 April 1920, p. 2
Editor’s notes:
Anzac = Anzac Cove, a cove on the western coast of the Gallipoli peninsula (part of the section of Eastern Europe held by Turkey), located on the European side of the Dardanelles strait; where the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) landed and fought against the Turkish army in 1915
[Editor: Changed “honor” on the 1st line to “honour” , in line with the spelling of “honour” on the 3rd, 13th, and 24th lines. Added a full stop after “honour pay” on the last line.]
The Institute of Australian Culture
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