The Road to Roma Jail
July 6, 2023Song of the Old Boundary Rider
July 6, 2023The Farmer remembers the Somme
Will they never fade or pass!
The mud, and the misty figures endlessly coming
In file through the foul morass,
And the grey flood-water ripping the reeds and grass,
And the steel wings drumming.
The hills are bright in the sun:
There’s nothing changed or marred in the well-known places;
When work for the day is done
There’s talk, and quiet laughter, and gleams of fun
On the old folks’ faces.
I have returned to these:
The farm, and the kindly Bush, and the young calves lowing;
But all that my mind sees
Is a quaking bog in a mist – stark, snapped trees,
And the dark Somme flowing.
Vance Palmer
Vance Palmer (1885-1959) was an Australian poet, novelist, and essayist. He is best known for his novel "The Passage," which tells the story of a group of Australian soldiers during World War I. His poetry often focused on the Australian landscape and the experiences of ordinary people.