For Matt ‘Trucky’ Langdon bush poetry paints the ultimate picture of the landscape and of our past.
He became fascinated by the style when he discovered the genre and began writing his own compositions as a teenager.
“I’ve always loved the imagery of bush poetry – when you listen to something like ‘The Man From Snowy River’ – if you let your imagination run with it you can start building a movie in your mind. That’s what I’ve always loved about it.”
His first poem was written for his father and tells the tale of growing up in the regional community of Gloucester in New South Wales.
In recent years Matt’s work has focused on championing causes and giving a voice to those he’s passionate about supporting.
Listen to Matt’s Anzac tribute Lest We Forget in the audio player above.
The longer form poem ‘Young Billy Smith’ tells the story of two young diggers going off to World War I.
“The characters in the poem aren’t real but the stories are – the stories are a mash up of real stories that I’ve read and researched. I’ve done that to try and highlight what the original Anzac’s would have gone through.”
But it’s the Anzac Day tribute ‘Lest We Forget’ that Matt has a personal connection to. In part the poem pays respect to all those who served and never returned, but it’s also been inspired by his grandfathers involvement in World War II.
“My grandfather trained with the Z Unit, but two weeks before they deployed he came down with pneumonia, which saved him as his entire squad ended up being wiped out. He became a turret gunner in the B-17 Flying Fortresses and served in the Pacific. The poem is also paying my respects as someone who never served, to say thanks to those who went through hell – that’s what ‘Lest We Forget’ is all about.”
Matt is also passionate about inspiring the next generation to discover his love of bush poetry.
“In many respects it is a bit of a dying art form, I’m 40 and I’m one of the younger people doing it. I am looking at opportunities to volunteer with schools and youth orgonisations to teach it to kids. It’s just such a unique way of telling a story – you can take something absolutely mundane and turn it into something that people will ask – where’s the movie!”
Lest We Forget by Matt Langdon
I need to give a thank you
To someone I know not
Someone who’s long passed away
Someone that time forgot
Someone who’s just a memory
And left their family bruised
Someone whose final resting place
Their family did not choose.
The calling they did heed
To go and fight on foriegn shores
And stand up for a way of life
Defending rich and poor
To stand against oppression
Tyranny, and genocide
And would have gone down swinging
On the day they died.
The saddest part of war
Is we know not where they rest
My heart it greives to give
A send-off worthy of the best
Their sacrafice was ultimate
The price they paid supreme
They gave their life for you and me
A hero not since seen.
Then there are the others
Who returned full of regret
Lamenting that it wasn’t them
Whose final fate was met
They watched as mate and stranger
Dropped on either side
Whose memories and friendship
Now in those old eyes reside.
Relieved that they came home
From a hell that they can’t shake
The wonder why their mate, not them
Still their heart it breaks
Their service and their sacrafice
A nation did expect
Our ANZAC’s gave us freedom
Liberty and respect.
Those that serve us still
They do with ANZAC pride
In our hearts and memories
All of you reside
You fought to give me freedom
Laid down your life for me
A debt I’ll never be able
To pay back to thee.
So every year on ANZAC
I’ll read this poem again
The only way I’m able
Say thank you with my pen
Know you’re not forgotten
And let us share your regret
Thank you to our diggers
God bless, lest we forget.