Guiseppe's Dark Haired Daughter Poem by Francis Duggan

She lives far from South West Gippsland now Guiseppe's dark
haired daughter
On Italy's Adriatic coast a short drive from saltwater
Married to a young Italian their pretty dark haired baby girl born last November
Though her parents they have yet to meet the newest family member.

Gone to live in her Dad's Homeland her life's journey she follow
But will she return to Gippsland like the migrant welcome swallow?
For she's an Aussie after all and ties are hard to sever
And as an Aussie girl she will remain even if she lives forever.

On bushes and trees in Italy now the wild born birds are singing
And in leafy groves and sunlit woods the voice of Nature ringing
And the foal around the lush pasture field with joy of youth is racing
And swallows twittering as they fly insects and flies are chasing.

The migrant's thoughts are far away the old home she remember
When butcherbird sang all the day in Gippsland in September
And above their nests on the Nobbies cliffs the silver gulls are calling
And the frogmouth's humming can be heard when the shades of night are falling.

In South West Gippsland a young man from the loss of love recover
Guiseppe's daughter broke his heart he was her former lover
For many months the pangs of love at his heart strings were tearing
But does she even think of him and how he might be faring? .

From the Melbourne suburbs to live at Inverloch as a child her parents brought her
And she's married and lives in Italy now Guiseppe's dark haired daughter
And on the beach where they oft walked hand in hand salt water waves are breaking
And by memories of her beauty the young man still enslaved and his lovelorn heart still aching.