Featherston was NZ's largest training camp in WWI. 30 000 men were trained there.

PROMISES TO KEEP
(Brendan Connor)

Rain on the wind
Norwester on the break
Snow-clad distant mountains
Shadows on the lake
Safe haven
Safe haven for young men

You are all gone
And the flags no longer crack amid the cheers
It's been so long
And the memories are dulled by passing years
But here amongst these stony fields
Winter's weary shadow steals
And your voices linger on the breeze

March on march on
March on march on
Promises to keep
But miles to go before you sleep
March on march on

Gallant heroes all good men
Drilled and honed in Featherston
March stoic, ripe and eager for their fate
Brothers, cousins, husbands, sons
Wagons, horses, bugles, drums
Trooping to the summit like a snake

Rain on the wind
Norwester on the break
Snow clad distant mountains
Shadows on the lake
Safe haven
Safe haven for young men

You are all gone
And your tents and wooden barracks stand no more
It's been so long
Each passing day a closing door
But here beneath this sallow sky
Now and ever sanctified
Your voices will linger on the breeze

March on march on
March on march on
Promises to keep
But miles to go before you sleep
March on march
March on march on
March on march on

Audio

The Robert Frost poem that inspired the title:

STOPPING BY THE WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING

Whose woods these are I think I know
His house is in the village though
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake

The woods are lovely, dark and deep
But I have promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep
And miles to go before I sleep

On his death bed, Nehru had his copy of Frost's collected verse opened at this poem with the final stanza underlined.

--Stewie.