One Hour before the Dawn was based on a lady I happened to notice at an Anzac dawn parade service in Papakura New Zealand. It occurred to me that it is not only soldiers who suffer in wartime, but their widows and sweethearts whose plight often goes un-noticed by the majority. This poem is for that lady..... and for the widows of every one of those men who have lost their lives because of war. Of course, not every soldier is awarded the VC .......... except in the heart of the woman he left behind.
This poem was awarded 1st place in Webstatic's inaugural poetry contest Jan-June 1999 out of 439 qualifying entries.
