My Brother
Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2010 11:55 am
We recently visited the Memorial to the Lighthorsemen at Seymour. I was reminded of the words of Mustafa Kamal Attaturk, the Turk commander and later leader of his country....
"Those heros that shed their blood and lost their lives,
you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country.
Therefore, rest in peace.
There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us
where they lie, side by side,
here in this country of ours.
You, the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries,
wipe away your tears.
Your sons are now lying in our bosom,
and are at peace.
After having lost their lives on this land,
they have become our sons as well.”
My Brother © Will Moody 2010
Brother, do you remember
on these wild and stoney slopes
how we fought with fire and fury
to fulfil our generals’ hopes ?
How we strove with gun and bayonet
and grenade and mortar too ?
Do you recall the scream of shellfire
and the shrapnel shards that flew ?
Do you recall the frenzied rushes,
trench to trench across Lone Pine ?
Do you recall the desperate battles
to dig in and hold the line ?
And Brother, do you remember
all our comrades who were slain
and our fellows who were wounded
crying out in fear and pain ?
And Mehmet, oh my brother,
do you recall what it was for ?
Do you understand the reasons
that our countries were at war ?
Never mind. The war is over
and the sounds of battle cease.
The sun sets over Anzac Cove,
let us, brother, rest in peace.
"Those heros that shed their blood and lost their lives,
you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country.
Therefore, rest in peace.
There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us
where they lie, side by side,
here in this country of ours.
You, the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries,
wipe away your tears.
Your sons are now lying in our bosom,
and are at peace.
After having lost their lives on this land,
they have become our sons as well.”
My Brother © Will Moody 2010
Brother, do you remember
on these wild and stoney slopes
how we fought with fire and fury
to fulfil our generals’ hopes ?
How we strove with gun and bayonet
and grenade and mortar too ?
Do you recall the scream of shellfire
and the shrapnel shards that flew ?
Do you recall the frenzied rushes,
trench to trench across Lone Pine ?
Do you recall the desperate battles
to dig in and hold the line ?
And Brother, do you remember
all our comrades who were slain
and our fellows who were wounded
crying out in fear and pain ?
And Mehmet, oh my brother,
do you recall what it was for ?
Do you understand the reasons
that our countries were at war ?
Never mind. The war is over
and the sounds of battle cease.
The sun sets over Anzac Cove,
let us, brother, rest in peace.