Tuesday, November 11, 2008

90 Years of Armistice Day Remembered.

Today, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the year, thousands in New Zealand and around the world gathered to mark the end of what was supposed to be the "war to end all wars".
We did just that here at Tamaki College. To mark 90 years of Armistice Day, we gathered by the flag poles and the last post was played. A 2 minute silence was held there and in all the classrooms to pay our respects to those who fought and gave their lives for our freedom.
A reading was done of part of the poem "For the Fallen" by Laurence Binyon.
Here it is in full.

For The Fallen

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.


1 comment:

  1. Hi TCTV
    I think your post was very moving. The filming was great too. Keep up the great work

    ReplyDelete