This poem is an *IA Writing Competition (creative work category) entry.
War's Devastation Eclipses All Victories
In the outback where the gum trees sway,
And skies stretch blue at the break of day,
The scars of war run deep and wide,
In hearts and land, where memories hide.
The echoes of the ANZACs' call,
Through rolling hills and city sprawl,
A solemn cry that haunts the air,
Of mate-ship lost and burdens shared.
No Southern Cross can light the night,
Or bring back those who left to fight,
For every medal, shining bright,
Hides shadows where there once was light.
From Gallipoli’s harsh, rugged shore,
To ochre deserts where red-dust winds roar,
The price of battles, etched in stone,
Leaves mothers’ cries to mourn alone.
The triumphs told in tales of old,
Fade in the silence, stark and cold,
For in the bush or bustling street,
War’s true cost, our hearts repeat.
So let the wattle bloom and grow,
And rivers of remembrance flow,
For victory’s hollow, fleeting cheer,
When love and life are lost so dear.
In coastal towns and inland farms,
Where morning spreads its golden arms,
The legacy of brutal war's dark shade,
Reminds us of the peace we’ve made.
Vince Hooper is a proud Australian/British citizen and professor of finance and discipline head at SP Jain School of Global Management with campuses in London, Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore and Sydney.
* Full IA Writing Competition details HERE.
See more photography from Bill McAuley HERE.
Related Articles
- POEM: Digital Serfs
- POEM: There are no Australians
- In the Beginning... as at the End
- POEM: Balancing
- POEM: Dublin Mosaic
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Australia License
Support independent journalism Subscribe to IA.
