Old Mate! In the gusty old weather,
When our hopes and our troubles were new,
In the years spent in wearing out leather,
I found you unselfish and true —
I have gathered these verses together
For the sake of our friendship and you.
You may think for awhile, and with reason,
Though still with a kindly regret,
That I've left it full late in the season
To prove I remember you yet;
But you'll never judge me by their treason
Who profit by friends — and forget.
I remember, Old Man, I remember —
The tracks that we followed are clear —
The jovial last nights of December,
The solemn first days of the year,
Long tramps through the clearings and timber,
Short partings on platform and pier.
I can still feel the spirit that bore us,
And often the old stars will shine —
I remember the last spree in chorus
For the sake of that other Lang Syne,
When the tracks lay divided before us,
Your path through the future and mine.
Through the frost-wind that cut like whip-lashes,
Through the ever-blind haze of the drought —
And in fancy at times by the flashes
Of light in the darkness of doubt —
I have followed the tent poles and ashes
Of camps that we moved further out.
You will find in these pages a trace of
That side of our past which was bright,
And recognise sometimes the face of
A friend who has dropped out of sight —
I send them along in the place of
The letters I promised to write.
In a published book
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Comments
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The poem was written for poet Jim Gordon
From guest Pip Wilson (contact)
Lawson wrote the poem in October, 1895, for the poet Jim Gordon (1874 - 1949), with whom Lawson had tramped more than 300 miles of the Outback of New South Wales in the summer of 1892-95, looking for work. Much more info on this, Lawson in general, and Australian poets of the era, is at the Henry Lawson and Louisa Lawson Chronology http://www.wilsonsalmanac.com/lawsons/lawson_chronology.html -
From an Aussie Mate
From guest Diana (contact)
I received this poem today from an Aussie email friend who is going through a rough spell. What a wonderful way to make it know that you've made a difference in someone's life! For Cassai, the book "Faces in the Street" by Pip Wilson is an awesome read for anyone interested in Henry Lawson. It's available for purchase or as a free PDF read from http://www.henrylawson.info . -
From guest cassai (contact)
this is a great poem i am using this to do my assignment it is alot of help thanks!! -
From guest cassie (contact)
henry this is a great poem but i just think that you should put some information down the bottom. very meaning full i sent it to my best freind she loved it to. so on behalf of us we would like to say that ist is a great freind and we love all your poems xoxox -
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For Guest cassie
As, Alas, Henry lawson is no longer with us he cannot respond to your message. However if you would say what sort of information you were expecting "down the bottom" we could try to help.
Meanwhile why not have a look at some of the other poems he published at the same time. There is a link under this poem.
Jim
Oldpoetry Research Teamn
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From guest cassandra storey (contact)
this is a really meaning full verse especially when you think you have lost a freind. thank you Henry Lawson with my love from cassandra... -
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this poem
From guest shannon (syrup) (contact)
It is the most marvolous poem i have ever read. I HOPE HE WRITES MORRE (even though he passed on) -
Mateship: this poem describes the feelings of men in the bush and how they depended upon each other to survive.
To receive such a letter in modern times would generate warm feelings I think.
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