Taiwan-Standing to Attendtion

Standing to Attention

We stand awhile and just look

At two guards in uniforms so white

Trousers tucked into black army boots

The attendant straightens their clothes

We finally see that they are real

Not carved out of marble

As the statue of Chung- Shan is

Seated in a huge armchair his legs apart

Hands resting gently on arms

Watching everything from a great high

As the guns the two soldiers hold

Ever so slowly move

Time for the replacing of the guard

Two new guards escorted in, high kicking all the way

Then turn and face the leader, they must now guard

In Military precision they perform for him- not us

The metal baronets glisten as they twill

Now high above their heads

The sound of the heavy boots, the only sound we hear

In the main hall where we all stand

Slowly from the platforms on either side

Two guards descend with so much grace and style

Join the others and change over right before our eyes

Three leave - two stay

We are then allowed to stand beside

These two before they ascend to guard

The great leader who formed Taiwan

I am sure I saw a look

Of pride in his carved warm eyes

As Mum and I stand next to them

The camera flash goes off

These soldiers don't even blink

They ascend take up their posts We just move along

They just stand still and stare.