Peter Godfrey wrote this moving poem for Remembrance Day 2024. He has kindly allowed us to publish it today as a reminder that every day needs to be an Armistice Day if we are to overcome conflict in favour of cooperation.
Lest we forget, in fields now still,
Where courage lingered, against the will.
Under skies once dark with fear,
Their voices echo, sharp and clear.
They marched as one through night and day,
With steadfast hearts, they forged a way.
For peace, for hope, for lands torn bare,
They bore the weight we’ll never share.
Today we stand with heads bowed low,
To honour paths we’ll never know.
New battles rise in other forms,
Affecting all, through shifting norms.
We must take up their solemn fight—
To find a way to reunite.
With matching principles for both young and old,
For climate, freedom, truth and justice bold.
Today we face our own uncertain wars –
No trenches deep, no foreign shores,
But courage calls us, just the same,
To guard this earth and defend our name.
So here we vow, with hearts sincere,
To hold their memory close and near.
Lest we forget, in light and shade,
The price of peace, for which they paid.
