Kid Genius

Inspired by Peter Fitzsimons book: "Ballad of Les Darcy"

Les Darcy was a battler,

a bone rattler from Maitland,

Australia. He was a blacksmith

at fifteen, working the forge

and his forearms with gleeful

disposition. He fought and boxed,

stood toe-to-toe with the heavy

hitters, traded blows and blood

noses, broken teeth - all

with gleeful disposition.

He’d go twenty gruelling rounds

on a Saturday night down

in loud Sydney town: and win or

lose he rode the long train home

for morning mass on Sunday.

Les Darcy was fair dinkum! and

there was no way to sink him

to the canvas or the claret streaked

mud of world war one - like prime

minister hughes tried to do, and

did do! with a cowardly flick of

his wrist when he marched all

those other young men to

a war that was not theirs.

                                         yet

death took ‘em, just the same…

 

Les Darcy was a battler and

he copped a lotta flak from

the newspapers and

mash fed dogs down in loud

Sydney town because he

had the audacity! to

be under the legal age to

fight in a war that was not

his. Les Darcy was a bone rattler

from Maitland, Australia. died

in Memphis, Tennessee - aged

just twenty

One.

 

when he came back to his

native shore, they carried his

body through

a hero’s procession -

down in loud Sydney town

before, once more;..

the long train home.

 

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[Pete]

great tribute to a legend from down under. nice, smooth, creative flow as you relate the this tale. the repetition of the train home is quite effective. the instance of rhyme hit hard like a punch. nice job ... :)

[charlie]

Thanks for that, Pete. You know the irony behind (or tangential to) this story. It was written by a guy who these days postures moral virtue by defaming the sport of boxing. One wonders what he did with the profits made from this book? ...

[Nisreen]

i like how you have kept the Australian tone
its pretty cool

and this man sounds like quite the brave one

you have an interesting way of relaying a story

its cool

[charlie]

Have you been? To Australia

[Nisreen]

no ............. but i read about it
sounds stunning

[KWP]

As an Aussie who resides in the good ol' Sydney town I must say that from the first line until the last you captured Sydney's essence for me ... I felt it, I touched it, I saw it.

Thank you :D x x

[charlie]

Any time ;)

[Gaia Octavia]

I really like how you ended this. Win, lose, or dead we all have to take that train ride home.

[charlie]

That's true.
You know, I wasn't exactly comfortable with the ending. Seemed almost too trite, but I felt that I couldn't really avoid it because, that's actually how it happened ...
I thank you for your words, G

[jacob erin-cilberto]

you tell compelling stories with your words.
the irony flows in this piece...

[Little Whisper]

He lived a full life in such a short time and you penned it perfectly.

[Tree]

A poem that brings to life a long gone soul for another shot at redemption, another shot, at remembrance.

Very cool write, Charlie.

Diego Paz

[Goat]

This story is wonderful. I love the ending! It flows well and is well structured. Great write!

[Rogie-Dodge]

I live half an hour from Maitland.
An amazing character, Les Darcy.
Thanks for sharing his story.