Bill The Artist

Bill The Artist

Bill is a tall, wiry, older guy

very softly spoken, almost shy

has arthritic fingers but suffers the pains,

prefers to sleep right through his dreadful migraines,

tills his backyard garden for sustainable food,

through his art seeks inspiration to sate his mood

and deliver a subject that justifies

his artistic skills and his mind satisfies.

Yearly April when Aussie minds turn

to historic lessons all should learn

of futile past war games the sorrows of death,

the loss of loved ones having breathed their last breath

ably serving our country no matter the end,

belief in our freedom always theirs to defend,

built an ANZAC legend based on their demise,

on display now the Gallipoli art prize.

The Nek, Afrikaans for mountain pass,

bottleneck in truth a planning farce,

unsynchronised watches officer’s mistake,

barrage stops early still decisions to make,

so lacking protection the light horse hop the bags

go over the top, some succeed raise marker flags

lure more waves of young men to an early tomb

in twenty ten Bill depicts their gunned down doom.

A solemn moment maternal tryst,

embracing the son she always wished

had not enlisted to fight did not have to leave,

his father there too firmly grasping his sleeve,

but they cannot restrain him the train whistle blows

soldier son off to battle this mother’s fear grows,

tears well in her eyes as she prays to heaven

Bill captures this scene in twenty eleven.

Mates, cobbers from small towns in the bush,

farmers, ringers become diggers push

back forces of evil in overseas lands

lives recalled today where this monument stands,

names of men carved in stone unfairly sacrificed

a cost to their families much too highly priced,

cattle graze nearby help our feelings to salve

in Bill’s praised contribution for twenty twelve.

Bill’s quiet, humble, just gets on with life

calmly fades into crowds never seems in strife,

not a complex man and with aura serene,

but deep inside forces powerful and keen

relate to the real world his experience knows

in passionate study of what history shows,

to thoughtfully create such skilled works of art

pose questions, force answers from deep in our heart.