It don't seem much like Christmas
My brothers Charles and Alan knew Tip Kelaher.
Charles served in the AIF in New Guinea.
Tip Kelaher was killed in action in the Middle East in 1941.
He was born in Sydney in December 1914, educated at Clovelly, Moree and Sydney High.
Tip enlisted in the AIF and in 1940 he was sent to the Middle East.
He wrote poems in the style of Henry Lawson.
This one is called Christmas '41
Well, it don't seem much like Christmas
Nations at each other's throats,
A-fighting one another
Like a lot of billy goats.
While we polish up the Vickers
Or are doing bayonet drill,
It hardly seems the season
To be talking of goodwill.
But there's one who came from Nazareth
I guess he ought to know-
He knocked ubout and summed things up
Two thousand years ago.
And though new gods have come and gone
And years have passed away
The things he taught his followers
Are just as clear today.
He taught them love and friendship,
To be tolerant and straight,
That each might do the decent thing
And try to help his mate.
Told of the good Samaritan,
Who helped the traveller bloke
Gave him a swig of Fosters
And offered him a smoke.
Taught each not to fight his neighbour,
Kill his calves or steal his wheat,
Or broadcast lies about him
On the corner street,
Till people learned his creed was right
And gave the sword a rest
They sat bside their fires and smoked
And found that peace was best.
Letter, 29 Nov 2016
Keith Whitfield, Woy Woy