THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER

THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER

Maureen Clifford ©  The Scribbly Bark Poet

He stands for all the war dead in the future, present, and past,

an unknown Aussie soldier who fought and breathed his last

on green French fields of battle – but we don’t know his name

all we know is he's Australian and I bet that he died game.

He gave up home and hearth and job, he left his own country.

He left a grieving Mother and a grieving family

who never knew if it was their man’s body now  interred

below our nations fluttering flags, with honours now conferred.

He’s someone’s son, but who’s he is indeed we’ll never know.

Enough for us to realize that a Hero lies below;

who once fought on the fields of France, was buried where he lay.

At end of war, was moved again to rest some miles away.

None know with what Battalion this young Aussie bloke fought.

None even know where he was slain or what this young man thought.

But a nation remembers him every Remembrance Day -

a fighting Aussie – loyal and true – whose life war stole away.

So when you wear the poppy and you cheer at the parades,

remember this young bloke who rests alone now in his grave.

He is the ‘unknown soldier’ a young bloke who gave his all

returned now to his homeland, once exhumed from foreign soil.

And every lad who comes back home again from fields of war

is represented by this bloke and what he had fought for.

His tomb will bear the words that they took from his eulogy

‘He is all of them, he’s one of us’ – he fought to keep us free.

We buried him with bayonet and wattle for his toil

and laid his bones to rest again back in Australian soil.

We know he is Australian but we don’t know his name

but I’ll bet you any money Mate that this young bloke died game.