ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

DELTA BEAR

Beside her bed the ticking clock marked time as all clocks do
the early morning chill was creeping in.
The photograph in sepia tones was framed in burnished silver
and the world fell out of step when she lost him.
The patchwork pillow dampened by the salt tears she had shed
as she had read the words she received yesterday.
There is no wrong in writing though the words be harsh and true;
‘We regret to tell you John has passed away.

‘He fought the enemy bravely, but was caught in enemy fire
and stray shell splinters sadly caused Johns demise.
His men were unsuccessful in trying to save his life.
His death was instant; there was no pain in his eyes.
Their bushmaster armed vehicle took the main brunt of the blast
though other men were also injured on that day,
my thoughts are with your family and I regret the loss
of your husband John far more than words can say.

The things we see out here are cruel and harsh as all wars are
but we all believe that we must win this war.
There are no more glass ceilings for the folks in Uruzgan
for these folks now are the poorest of the poor.
The men of John’s battalion have asked me to share with you
their feelings, they too grieve at Johnny’s fate.
They shared in John’s excitement when he told them all the news.
We’ve had a whip around – and send this for a Mate.

So could you please for us, buy just the biggest Teddy Bear
that you can find – we don’t have shops out here.
And when the child is old enough to understand the story
let him know the teddy holds a memory dear.
A memory of a father who was young and strong and proud
and so excited when he first became a Dad.
But God needed him in heaven and so God just took him back
but sent the teddy to look after his young lad.

Would you tell the child that John is watching over him from Heaven
and he sees and knows of everything he does.
Could you let him know just how much his Father really loved him
and let the teddy bear be a present from us?
Please call the teddy Delta Bear so we retain a link
with a bloke who was a hero and a friend.’
She does, and now the child is three, at night she tells him stories
of his Dad ; who though not there still his love sends.

Maureen Clifford © 05/11

Another casualty of war being returned to Sydney from Tarin Kowt today - it breaks your heart

Sergeant Brett Wood, 32, a decorated soldier serving his third deployment to Afghanistan, was killed by an improvised explosive device .

Two other diggers were wounded in the blast.

and another

Lance Corporal Andrew Gordon Jones was killed after a shooting involving a rogue Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier, he said.

Twenty-five-year-old Lance Corporal Jones was from the 9th Force Support Battalion in Amberley. This was his first deployment to Afghanistan.

and then

Australian soldier, 27-year-old Lieutenant Marcus Sean Case, died following a helicopter crash about 90 kilometres from Tarin Kowt in southern Afghanistan.

R.I.P.


When will it end?

A lovely tribute to the brave men who fight our wars Maureen.

So sad for the families, and the children who grow up without them.

Thanks for sharing
Catchya
IRene

Thanks Irene - the list grows daily - two more gone overnight.

It's a terrible loss for every family and friends of soldiers killed.

Just to put this war into perspective though, Over 8,000 Australian soldiers died at Gallipoli, and on the first day of the Battle of the Somme in 1916 over 19,000 British soldiers were killed.

Another sad day for Australians.

Lest We Forget.

Heather

those figures are hard to get your head around Neville aren't they - especially 19,000 on the first day of battle on the Somme...without a doubt you would have to classify that as cannon fodder...bloody tragic.

Every life is too precious to be wasted.

G/Day Maureen
We Lost another young soldier to-day, that makes 27 and the Americans are losing so many young men as well, sadly despite the glowing reports that we are slowly winning, I don't think this war is winnable, and I would like to see us out before we lose any more of these brave young men. - Terry

I heard something interesting on the radio today that hadn't really occurred to me before. By having a war in Afghanistan, it concentrates the terrorists there and they are too busy to do their thing elsewhere. Interesting thought. We were warned that the "fighting season" was coming - well it's here. Very sad about another young man dying overnight. Apparently the soldiers had found huge cache of weapons and by finding and presumably destroying it, they have saved other lives. From interviews I have seen, the soldiers believe in what they are doing.

Heather

Don't doubt for a minute that they believe in what they are doing in fact I know that from personal experience and I support them one hundred percent, and am so proud of each and every one of them. There are none better to do the job - but my gut feeling is that the whole exercise is a wasted effort and as such the loss of these young lives is a pointless exercise and I do just wish we could see our way clear to bring them home -all of them, every soldier, the two legged and the four legged.