Poems

by Chaplain Jim Cosgrove

Valé  - Brave Soldier

A Piper sounds a mournful air while soldiers on their shoulders bear
The body of their mate who fell in war
The drummer marks the fall of feet and cuts the air with measured beat
With mates slow marching forward strong and sure

Leaders standing side by side are joined by those whose tears and pride
Unite them as a family joined in sorrow
Photographs and special words, memories and stories heard
About the man who gave us his tomorrows

Silence shared, the ode is told - For Unlike us they grow not old
We will remember them, their sacrifice
As Last Post plays, its haunting strains retell the cost of war again
Lest we forget the cost of freedoms price

Flag draped coffin borne outside, honour guard and volleys fired
Gun carriage bears our soldier to his rest
A crisp salute with tear filled eyes joins loved ones silent sad goodbyes
Valé brave soldier, Valé! – Our Nation’s best.

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Days of Sadness

Days of  Sadness, Heartfelt pain
Our Aussie Soldiers killed again
And many people in this war
Will question “What’s this fighting for?”
“We know the lads are good and tough
But surely this must be enough!
They say “Get rid of all this pain
and bring our Soldiers home again”

Days of Sadness, tortured grief
Life for these lads was cruelly brief
And family’s unspoken fears
Are realised in a Vale of tears
But hear the words these families say
“If our troops must come home today
Then that would be the cruellest pain
For then our boys have died in vain.”

Days of Sadness, Pain and Pride
Our husbands, brothers, Sons have died
But we believe their sacrifice
Will help to pay our freedom’s price
Our Nation’s history tells the tale
Of those whose courage didn’t fail
Who gave their lives for you and me
To free our world from tyranny.

Days of Sadness, deepest sorrows
Our boys have given their tomorrows
Our Anzac Story tells the cost
Of many other young lives lost
Who fell with faces to the foe
To buy the peace their children know
They fought until the job was done
The only way that peace is won.

Days of Sadness, pained goodbyes
While loved ones mourn a Nation cries
The Eulogies will tell the tales
Of those whose courage didn’t fail
Our courage too we now must show
Our fighting lads deserve to know
That even though the cost is great
We’ll let them fight on for their mates.

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Stronger Than Grief

Australians are all reeling and many folks are feeling
dismayed with all our recent soldiers’ deaths
We farewell a fallen brother then another then another
and it’s like we need to stop to catch our breath.

While one family is grieving another is receiving
the news that takes their world to grief and sorrow
There’s lots of fear and tension, you can sense the apprehension
as we wonder if there’s more bad news tomorrow.

But the families will tell us the are so proud of their fellas
even as they stop to wipe away their tears
They say they feel inside an intense and burning pride
as they face the nightmare of their deepest fears.

Their courage and belief are even stronger than their grief
that their sacrifice is for a worthy cause
They believe their precious sons, brothers, dads, beloved ones
have paid the price for freedom on our shores.

They want to tell their mates to never doubt or hesitate
to fight this fight against the reign of terror
An untimely made decision to turn our backs on this mission
Would be at this sad time a costly error.

As families deal with grieving they are strengthened by believing
that their soldiers gave their lives for you and me
In the history of their nation there are many generations
whose sacrifice has made our country free.

And so in this time of grief, please don’t falter in belief
that our Aussie boys are where they need to be
They’ve got the guts to fight their wars, keep supporting them because
They need support from their community.

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We Said a Little Prayer Today

We said a little prayer today
A prayer for mates who died
And no one here’s ashamed to say
There’s been some tears we’ve cried.

For good mates full of zest for life
Cut down while in their prime
Amid the war’s furore and strife
Now gone before their time.

We said a little prayer today
For all their families
And asking Lord for strength that they
Can bear their sadness, please!

For Parents who have lost a son
And Kids who lost their dad
And wives who’ve lost beloved ones
So tragic Lord, so sad.

We said a little prayer today
For strength and courage for
The mates and colleagues who must stay
Away to fight this war.

We’re sure they’re sad to lose their friends
So help them bear the strain
That when one day this fighting ends
This cost won’t be in vain.

We said a little prayer today
For those who sacrifice
Their lives in service in the fray
To pay our freedom’s price.

O help us God to realise
As tears flow for the lost
Our Peace and freedom is the prize
That’s won at such a cost.

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