April 25 is a very important day each year for Australians and New Zealanders. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. ANZAC stands for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps and soldiers in those forces became known as the ANZACS. The red poppy flower symbolises and honours these brave men who lost their life fighting for their country.
THE ANZACS
The crowds are starting to gather at dawn
Standing together and medals are worn
The air is crisp and the breeze is light
This April day is a haunting sight
For on this day and every year
Thousands of people will appear
To remember the soldiers who lost their life
While families at home were suffering in strife
The young and the innocent went to war
Never really knowing what was in store
Dressed in uniform and eager to fight
Just doing what they felt was right
And there in the crowd is a lonely old man
Aged in his nineties doing the best he can
He wants to be there and pay his respects
Wearing a red poppy pinned to his vest
With weary legs and feeble hands
His tired body struggles to stand
To honour his mates who went to war
Proud and steadfast to the core
His hand on his chest and tears in his eyes
He remembers the horror and hears the cries
Seeing the soldiers fall to the ground
The roar of the bullets and the deafening sound
Aussies and Kiwis together as one
Fighting a battle until it was done
A time in history that came at a cost
Misery and heartache from lives that were lost
The mighty Anzacs fought hard and long
Fighting together united and strong
Supporting each other until the end
They started as strangers and ended as friends
Lest we Forget
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