An Aussie Bard

Anthony W. Pahl, OAM

He joined the RAAF

At the age of seventeen
And been a Proud Australian
All those years in between.

For more than twenty years

He served in the Air Force
A chopper gunner in Vietnam
That served to change life’s course.

Disabled by that Service

But things really began there
To Serve his fellowman
To help others See and Care.

Like so many other Veterans

Who survived that War
When the battles ended
He found that there were more.

Some had their personal demons

To contend with when back home
Some searching for their “Peace”
Their life spent on the roam.

Much more fortunate than some

He had a strong and loving Wife
And two wonderful Daughters
To help him reclaim his Life.

But his Comrades in Arms

Those, of like Heart and Mind
Searching ways to Honor them
Was kind of hard to find.

Then in Eighty-eight
He found his Skill with Pen
And never looking back
He’s been writing Words since then.

A fine, untrained Wordsmith

His style unlike most the “rest”
He found his outlet for his Thoughts
 And his Feelings, worst and best.
He also made some places
For others to pen their word
And to maybe help those others
So their thoughts might be heard.

He tries to help less fortunate

And to end suffering and strife
But don’t call him a “Hero”
That’s just how he lives his life.

But folks in Canada disagreed

Honored by ICROSS in ‘04
“Humanitarian of the Year Award”
And this year, there’s even more.

The “Order of Australia”

Is kind of like being “Knighted”
And knowing one of that “Order”
Makes me kind of excited.

We need more People like him

And I am Proud to call him, “Friend!”
And I wish him all the very best
With this heartfelt, “Congrats!” I send.

Congratulations Tony, and well deserved,

Del “Abe” Jones
01-22-2006