Category: Rituals

 

April 25 –  Anzac day New Zealand’s equivalent of Memorial Day or Armistice Day. The occasion on which those who made the ultimate sacrifice are celebrated, remembered and thanked. Long ago now, April 25, 1915, it began when Australian and New Zealand ( Anzac) forces landed at dawn on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Landed to suffering, privation, misery, ambush and death. Many young men signed up for adventure, the reality was brutally  different, the contrast captured so well by  Eric Bogel’s, The Band Played Waltzing Matilda – a moving and illuminating song – included as a link below.

Anzac day began during World War I a conflict which spawned a sub, almost full genre of poetry – war poems – none better than Ted Hughes’s Six Young Men. The rules of copyright do not permit it to be posted on Orphaned Islands (Un) poetry’s website. However, a Google search will allow any reader to find it quite quickly – well worth reading.

The Pogues – The band played waltzing matilda – YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZqN1glz4JY

 

 

Brian wondered if his attention had wandered when,
on the first day the speaker told a story
and about 10, in an auditorium of 200,
laughed vigorously.
It happened again the next day,
same story he thought and about 10 began laughing – 
energetically,
then second take joined by 15 or 20.
It happened again on day 3,4 & 5 –
each day for the week-long conference
the same story – not clever, funny or quirky,
and more people laughing.

Brian said they must have chosen well
because it didn’t leak out – not a whiff,
10 selected, and told to laugh loudly on cue.
By week’s end the entire audience laughed with them.

The leader of the leadership conference said
the participants all had a long way to go.

Four university years passed in a pattern
quietly and quickly repeating,
Autumn,
enrolment, winter, spring, exams, summer ,
work
vacation work – funds for fees and fun.

The man of the interview asked for a start date,
then answered his own question – “ yesterday.”
The job
store in the mornings, issuing and receiving goods
deliveries in the afternoon –
“got a clean driver’s licence ?”
And
if quiet –
some painting needs doing. “ Sure.”

Time was amicable
the work amenable
the company casual and companionable
except
rumour said, the top two
general manager and managing director,
bitter rivals, ancient history, dislike on sight.

Still a summer soundtrack
top 40 and top weather
a season in the sun
notice given…. almost finished
when one last job,
the man who employed me said
go to car park
and paint over the managing director’s name –

Toast. Gone. Ousted,
Eight inches by four inches,
the only painting I did all summer.