A POEM FOR ANZAC DAY
BY JOHN ANSELL
Two words of seven letters,
Six of them the same.
The high road or the low road?
The honour or the shame?
Two words of seven letters
To tell us who you are.
(The ethical distinction
Is more than just PR.)
Two words of seven letters
Six of them the same
Help God Defend New Zealand
Or spawn a traitor’s name?
To stand up for your country
Or lie down with the ewes?
Two words of seven letters.
Which one will you choose?:
P ATRIOT
TRAITO R
n memory of John Vivian Telfer
b. 1888, Whangarei.
d. 1915, Gallipoli.
