In silence one feels the feet marching
Two hundred and forty paces in two minutes
And a heart that tap dances along with your feet;
In silence you waited to go over the top
And you looked for one last time
At your friends and comrades;
Two minutes silence
To remember
The faces
And the places;
Two minutes silence
To remember
One’s own agony
And the never-ending story
Of death
And loss
And brutality;
Two minutes silence,
Standing silent,
In thought,
Once a year.