Attending celebrations for the 100th Anniversary of the Australian flag at the old Fremantle Artillery Barracks Museum,
A sudden surprising sea of flags and faces.
Who called out and dressed these ranks
of every age and income, as far as I can tell,
gathered before relic guns and tanks?
They fill the old parade ground, waving the flag,
singing and cheering, this Sunday afternoon.
Something I hope good seems to have retrieved
patriotism from the dark side of the moon.
The flags look suddenly brilliant, swirling here
above the harbour and the portent of ships' hulls.
Introduced fireworks, rainbow lorikeets blaze
and whirl in palms above stark crows and gulls.
A crash from the muskets of whisker-waffling
red-coated or kilted colonial volunteers
bedizened with medals, including Vietnam,
and again from all three rousing cheers.
I dislike those who dislike it, so I'm here,
but it's hard to know this Century's new dreams.
I know all the history and economics that I want.
I hope, I hope, that this is what it seems.
I don't question it, and we enjoy the show,
take in the galleries: Kokoda, Flanders mud.
Questioning belief and enthusiasm now
is a bit like playing a fire-hose on a flood.
At times, flags and marchers could be fearful,
I don't need telling. But be that as it may
it's hard to see much more than innocence and joy
among the company gathered here today.
And anyway, I like the teenage marchers,
the red-coat re-enactors and the crowd,
who have come to this instead of something else,
happy to sing, wave flags and cheer aloud.
Cadets and pipers and their earnest officers,
grandfatherly RSL men, young parents beaming down
at flag-bedecked infants, a panorama
of decent people in a memory-peopled town.
A mild and gently sunny day of colours,
above this quaint little city, with these old relics round.
Strange, block-shaped ships, like symbols of the future
head for the harbour, strange cargoes inward-bound.
Author notes
Written May 27th, 2005
A contest entry
- Military Contest by MoonsShadow.
875 points, ended May 17, 17 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
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this post reminds me of our re-enactments here in the U.S.A., so many interesting takes on the war and its role
in history, you penned percicesly what had taken place inall areas of the world, thank you for entering this facinating write in this contest...good luck...
Lin
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It worries me that once the last of the old boys dies there will be no more remembrance parades over here, we are too quick to throw away the memories of war in this country, a bit pathetic when you think what a warring nation the British were, sorry to rattle on, on your rather splendid piece of poetry but i'm a bit down at the moment over the state of the UK, seems at time i'm the only one who can see what a bigger mess it becomes every year.. or maybe they are right and i am so far off peg.. ah, who knows, i'll shut up now.
My brother lives in Australia, i must visit him, Australia seems more English than we are now
Edited on Sep 10, 8:31 because ''. -
I love your vivid descriptions of celebration in your life, wonderful, patriotic piece
Keep writing and thanks for your comment and suggestions
All the best,
Pozo
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Another great poem, Kevin. It reminded me of Anzac Day in NZ. Fremantle is a favourite place of mine - as you say - a quaint little city.
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