Coo-ee

[Andrew]

Coo-ee
©AndrewHull,2007

I can hear the distant bugle and the drummers steady beat
As it echo’s through the valley to the sound of marching feet
So its one more kiss for Mary and the son I’ll never see
For the foreign fields are calling me, Coo-ee

They were twenty six who set out and they called them ‘Hitchens Own’
And for every mile they’ve walked, one in number they have grown
And they seem so damn determined as they gather everyday
For they’ve heard about the slaughter on the beach at Suvla Bay

They are marching from Gilgandra to the Quay at Sydneyside
They are marching for the Hundreds at Gallipoli who died
They are marching with the faith of what this land will one day be
And their marching feet are calling me, Coo-ee

They have gathered in the streets to watch the volunteers file through
And the men have said their farewells and have joined up with the crew
As they set their mind to walking the three hundred mile track
Each and every one expecting that they won’t be coming back

So its goodbye to the little block I broke my back to clear
The first fruit of the orchard will be hanging there next year
It’s the promise of that future that I go to guarantee
For my countrymen are calling me, Coo-ee

I can hear a distant echo through the roar of falling shell
It is calling me to rise up from the crater where I fell
I can see the face of Mary, I can smell an apple tree
As my country calls me home again, Coo-ee


h

[Irene]

Hully
That is a really great poem!
I loved the rhythm and metre - the shorter line at the end of 1st, 3rd and 5th stanza really sets it off well.
And such a great storyline with it!!

Can I be a little rude and ask if you have missed two words in the typing of the fourth stanza though?
The first line seems to have a 'the' or something similar missing from 'gathered in streets'. Should it be 'gathered in the streets'?
and the fourth line seems to feel like it should have a 'they' or something similar in 'expecting that won't be coming back'. As in, 'expecting that they won't be coming back'.

Hope you don't mind me asking that, but it is such a great poem, and I'm not sure if it is just me reading it wrong.
Just tell me to butt out if I have it wrong!!! 

Catchya
Irene

[the mad mare]

Great poem (as always) Hully.

Have you thought to enter it in the Cooee competition at Gilgandra?  There is a special section for Cooee march poems.  If you are interested, send me a pm and I will post you info and entry forms.

Kym.

[Andrew]

Irene,
Wow...thats amazing...you're absolutely right ! ! !....I can't beleive I would have left out words and even when I read it again i didn't notice....only when I went looking for it....thats funny, makes me wonder what else I've posted that has bits missing....thanks for picking that up....will go and see if I can edit it.
Kym, I wrote this poem very quickly while listening to a radio piece about the Cooee march...havent polished it up and never entered a competition. !....I'm interested in sending it to Gilgandra if only for their records...what is a pm?

h

[the mad mare]

Isn't Irene great at picking up stuff like that.  She's found things for me before that I have read and re-read!

A pm is a private message, so we can talk to each other without everyone else listening (or reading) in.  It's the little cartoon speech bubble on the left hand side of the screen.  Send me a pm with your address and I'll post a copy of the Cooee comp info.

See ya',

Kym.