Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From Albert Meggy's mother: Mrs PR Meggy

Today and tomorrow, I will share some poetry with you which will most certainly bring a tear or two. In fact, the tragedy of the Meggy family is just shocking. But I will let the mother tell the story today and tomorrow. Poetry like this is one of the reasons I remain interested in Australian Great War Poetry. The two poems today are about Mrs Meggy’s son, Albert. Just read and ponder her words. This poor woman suffered something no mother should ever suffer, yet so many did. How proud she was, and as you will see, how crushed she became. The tragedies of war are something only poets seem capable of capturing, and poor old Mrs Meggy has captured something I just can’t imagine. Here now is part one, and part two will be posted tomorrow.

Twenty-one
By Mrs P.R. Meggy

My soldier boy’s a man to-day-
He’s twenty-one!
He’s gone to keep the foe at bay
At twenty-one!
No time now for games or fun,
He’s buckled sword and shouldered gun:
He means to make those Germans run-
He’s strong, and twenty-one!
His eyes just beam with love’s own light-
He loves his country, so must fight-
At twenty-one-
For fairness, liberty and light,
Justice, freedom, power and might-
Duty calls to do what’s right-
He’s gone, at twenty-one!
What do I wish my soldier boy
At twenty-one?
Long life much happiness and joy.
(Just twenty-one!)
And may my son return to me
From foreign lands across the sea,
Crowned with the crown of victory-
A conqueror, and twenty-one!

Lone Pine
By Mrs P.R. Meggy
In memory of my son, Albert Edward Meggy, 1915.
(Killed at Lone Pine, Gallipoli, 6th August, 1915, aged 21)

My beautiful boy, with a heart of gold,
Will never come back to me;
He gave his life in this awful strife,
He died to keep men free;
He lies now cold and still and dead,
His spirit has forever fled.

My beautiful boy, with the loving smile,
Will never return to me;
He lies with his comrades at Lonesome Pine,
Close to the Aegean Sea;
And I must travel my weary mile
Without his sweet and sunny smile.

My beautiful boy with the eyes of love
Can never come back to me;
His heart is still, his smile is gone,
His eyes they cannot see:
They cannot see how I try to bear
The thought of my loved one lying there.