India 1st Place
Year 12 student
~The Anzacs’ Flame~
The day they marched began it all.
Those who answered the call to war.
Young men, still boys, picking up arms,
To protect a country from those that may harm.
Leaving their wives, leaving their mothers
Forming new bonds, finding new brothers
Bound together by the blood they shed,
The screams in the night, the tears and the dead.
From the weight of a nation they did not shy,
Nor from the gunfire lighting up the sky.
When cold wind roared and rain barrelled down,
They sung songs of home and cheered to the sound.
The days were dark, the nights were long,
Water was short and the food was all gone.
The battled seemed lost, a rising tide of sorrow,
Yet still they fought on, ‘one more day until tomorrow’.
For buried in their souls, burning away,
The Anzacs’ flame led the way.
No fire, no flood, no storm, or thunder,
Would stop these men or drag them under.
Haunted by a ghost gun’s shout,
From here to Gallipoli and there about,
A soul of fire, a courageous creator,
The Anzac spirit, it’s the heart of Australia.
Harriet 2nd Place
Year 11 student
Flame of Freedom
In the dawn's early light, they stood so brave,
Their hearts filled with courage, their spirits unchained.
They answered the call, with a resounding yes,
To defend their land, with all their prowess.
From the shores of Gallipoli to the fields of France,
They fought with honour, they fought with chance.
They faced their foes, with grit and might,
And in the face of death, they did not take flight.
The Anzac spirit burned bright and true,
A flame that inspired, a flame that grew.
They lived for a cause, they died for a dream,
A dream of freedom, a dream supreme.
They fought for a future, they fought for hope,
And their legacy lives on, in every heart that still can cope.
So let us remember, those who gave their all,
And let us honour, their spirit standing tall.
They fought for us today, for their country too
With the ANZAC spirit, they knew what to do
They never faltered, they never gave in
For they knew that freedom, was the ultimate win
For they showed us the way, they showed us the light,
And they gave us a gift, that will shine forever bright.
Charlotte 3rd Place
Year 8 student
We know,
That we see our waters flow And the sun rise,
Because you gave us your lives.
Throughout this day,
We never let your memories fade away,
We share your stories with tears of pride in our eye,
As we set your spirits free as they fly.
And when they are free,
We hold your hearts against ours as we sing your melody.
We commemorate you for your stronghearted will,
Even with your bodies still,
Our nations value your courage and bravery,
So, we will put aside our misery,
Because we know you’d want us to grow,
And honour your sacrifice by living in joy as we hear the rooster crow.
You ANZACs taught us to hope for a better tomorrow,
To put aside our fear and let it go.
As we live in peace,
Australia wears your red poppies and marks it as our centerpiece.
Today is our thank you for all that you’ve done,
Your souls are remembered everyone.
Sienna 4th Place
Year 8 student
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We remember the blood shed, the lives lost.
Through war and fighting a beautiful thing emerges,
As the poppies grow from these young man’s graves,
They resemble the spirt they showed,
Through the hell they endured.
They went to battle with strength and grit,
Some left before they could quit,
Some lost lives, some lost brothers
But some never lost their ANZAC spirit.
We salute the soldiers who fought for us, died for us,
We remembered you from that day,
On the day you landed at Gallipoli Bay,
The 108th anniversary today.
Australians and New Zealanders,
Who fought side by side,
The world watched on in despair,
As gunshots rang through the air,
Out of their control,
On what the future held.
The fathers, the brothers, the sons,
And the loved ones.
Lost their lives to soon,
We want them back,
We miss them all,
Those men so brave,
Who stood so tall.
Lest we forget.