Memories Of Bundanoon: The Closing March Poem by Greg Davidson

Memories Of Bundanoon: The Closing March

Rating: 4.5


Mace in hand,
Symbol of his command,
In a rank of one he stands.

He stands before
A row of twenty more.
Still, they wait the one's command.

Crisp and clear,
Those behind wait to hear,
Mace and feet and arms as one.

Forward go
And from the hills echo
A roar of pipe and pulse of drum.

Flash of hose,
In step each marcher goes,
Pipers summon Maxwell's men.

All around,
Hearts quicken to the sound,
And their toes, in shoes, keep time.

Side by side
To Marie's Wedding stride,
Airs of Caledonia.

Mace in hand,
Raised high, the next command,
On he strides toward the fence.

At the last,
He turns, his mace a mast,
Through the rank and file he sails.

Mace behind,
All turn with single mind,
Then pipe, side and tenor drum.

Line on line
Step drums and pipes, in time
Marching back from where they'd come.

Turn again,
Marie's Wedding, Maxwell's Men,
Left to right, a second pass.

Maces drop.
Music and marchers stop.
Pipers from each line step forth.

One then played
Notes echo ‘bout the glade,
Calls to make them "think again".

Amazing Grace,
A tear runs down a face,
Then two hundred more join in.

All goes still,
Then high upon the hill,
A lament, the single piper plays.

Words to say,
By chieftain of the day,
With solemn call to "haste ye back".

Warp and weft
Interweave, right to left,
Pipes and drums once more give sound.

Drummers shout,
Black Bear to lead them out.
Now the marchers homeward bound.

The day is over all too soon,
And so does Brigadoon,
Transforms again to Bundanoon.

Sunday, November 13, 2016
Topic(s) of this poem: memories
POET'S NOTES ABOUT THE POEM
Bundanoon is a small village about 100 km south west of Sydney. Each year it is the venue of a Highland Gathering when 'Bundanoon is Brigadoon'. This poem is one of two (for now) which grew from memories from my attendance at the games over several years.
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
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Greg Davidson

Greg Davidson

Sydney, Australia
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