When the bands all cease to play

Have you ever seen the veterans

parading through the street,

have you ever heard the rhythm

of their weary marching feet?

Have you ever heard the jingle

of the medals on their chest,

when the bands all cease to play,

and the pipers takes their rest?

Have you stood and watched them

as down Martin Place they come,

slowly marching to the beat

of a lonely muffled drum?

Have you ever wondered why

the flags are at half staff,

have you ever seen their faces

as they pass the cenotaph?

Have you ever caught a glimpse

of the mist that fills their eyes

as they think about old friends

no longer by their sides?

Then have you seen them raise their heads

and march as in years gone bye -

when the bands commence to play again

and the pipes their glory cry?

Here is the spirit of the Anzac

and on this hallowed day

their friends come back to join them,

but in a special sort of way;

Because for every one you see

marching down the street

there's a thousand there beside them -

but they march on silent feet.

For friendships forged in battle

are of the rarest kind,

they extend beyond the grave

and withstand the tyranny of time.

So if you listen with your heart

come next Anzac Day

perhaps you'll understand

why they are marching on parade:

It is for that sacred moment -

that moment in the day -

when the pipers take their rest,

and the bands all cease to play.

Vic Jefferies, Patonga