LEST WE FORGET 1916

LEST WE FORGET (1916)

I was asked if I could

write a contemporary

Anzac poem

without the classic words about 

Poppies and Flanders fields.

Not knowing 

anything much

about the war machine 

religion and politics.

Even so religion

was ingrained 

into my school days particularly around

Christmas.

These days I choose to 

ignore religion completely.

That's right.

I choose to live with my 

children without religion.

I tell them 

choice 

is my religion, 

and if we choose to love and ignore religion 

we still can not be guaranteed

to be safe in this world, 

and not

be harmed in the

wrong timings in

the religious killing fields 

all

around us.

(2016)

Avie.