Poem – Great Uncle

I wish I had met great-uncle

Who fought in the war

With his friends and brother

In the Australian Army Corp.

 

He left this home

Went to a far away land,

A land called Egypt,

with lots of Golden Sand

 

They trained in Cairo,

learnt how to fight,

and I can imagine

They must have been quite a sight

 

He was told to fight at Fromelles

How disastrous it would be

All of the men there

Could clearly foresee

 

That they would lose

the battle and many men

He would think of his family

Every now and then.

 

He survived the battle

How lucky he was.

He only did realised this

When he stopped and paused.

 

He fought in other battles

Such as Ypres and Polygon Wood

So young, too young

Just 18, just reached adulthood.

 

But when it came to Villers-Bretonneux

he had a plan,

Get through the war

And be the best man he can

 

He was out on night patrol

When he was shot near the heart

He died almost instantly

What a horrible way to depart.

 

He was buried in France,

Amongst comrades and friends,

With other Commonwealth soldiers,

other sons, husbands and dads.

 

I want to visit his grave,

Just go there and sit,

I want to be close to you

Even just for a little bit

 

I want to tell you

How proud I am of you

The things you did

I hope to never go through

 

He is such a brave man,

An inspiration to me,

and now I want you to know,

I want your spirit to be free.
Ella Bibby 5/9/2017