ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

This is an old one of mine but I just walked past the old monument in question and thought about the Anzac services that used to be held around it in days gone by and thought it might be time to revive it.
I took the title from the publican's cry in the days of the six o'clock swill in the pubs when they were throwing out the drinkers.

TIME GENTLEMEN PLEASE!

In the centre of our village
a monument can be found
which all the cars that come along
now have to drive around,

And lately there’s been rumours
and I’ve heard some people say,
perhaps it’s time we moved it,
“‘Cause now it’s in the way!”

But I often pause to wonder
just where we would be today
if those whose names are listed there
hadn’t gotten in the way.

For they got in the way alright
in many foreign lands:
up on the Kokoda Track;
on North Africa’s burning sands;

They put themselves in the way
of Hitler’s Messerschmitts
by flying night and day
in those fantastic fighting ‘Spits’.

They were in the way
on every ocean, every sea
fighting hard as sailors
to ensure that we stayed free,

And back when our nation
faced it’s direst, darkest day,
the people of Australia
could only hope and pray;

That those ragged bloody heroes
could find the strength to stay
where they stood and fought for us
so stubbornly in the way.

So now I find it sad
that to improve the traffic’s flow
some want to move their monument
and insist that it must go

Though when you think of it,
it’s a soldier’s usual pay:
“Thank’s for saving Australia mate -
but now you’re in the way!”

Vic Jefferies

So true Vic, sad when we have to say that though. Good onya mate.....(Did they shift it?)

It is a shame and a mark of disrespect IMO. We used to have a magnificent avenue of Pines called Anzac Avenue at Redcliffe. One pine planted in 1920 for every serviceman in the area who had died during the war. They grew magnificently, and were very solid and very tall and over 70 years old, and then the road needed to be wider and then they were a hazard for motorists if they ran off the road...so they were all removed, and now all that remains is the name. So much for the living memorial to our servicemen . At one stage around 2005/2006 there was talk of a grove of pines supposedly grown from cuttings from the Lone Pine at Gallipolli being planted but I don't remember that plan ever coming to fruition.

Cheers

Maureen

Terrific poem Vic. Two of our local war memorials (Kilmore and Broadford) have recently been renovated and areas added to have memorials to soldiers who did service in Iraq, Timor, Afghanistan etc

Heather

G'day Ross Maureen and Heather,
Thanks for the comments. No, Ross they haven't moved it but there are still some who think it should be moved out of the way!
The monument was built, including the concrete blocks from which it is constructed, by volunteers in the village in 1947 to commemorate the service of those locals who served in the second world war. There are only seven streets in the town and at the time the monument was erected all of them were dirt. The monument was placed in the centre of the intersection of the two main streets but later, after the streets were tarred and footpaths and gutters were formalised the monument stands a little off centre. However, the village is now very trendy and I think that perhaps some of the newcomers may find the monument a little old fashioned in appearance!
Vic