Rewi to Grey: The Old Maori Chief’s Last Message

Henry Lawson 1867 (Grenfell) – 1922 (Sydney)



We have lived till these times, brother,
We who lived in this;
We have not grown old together,
Soon our lives must close
Rewi’s first! For I am dying
Ere I got where all is true
From my heart a wish is flying
This is my great word to you:

Mine to you and those who love us –
Be they white or brown
Let there be one stone above is
When they’ve laid us down;
Let us rest together, brother,
When our gods recall us two.
Grant my wish – I have no other:
This is my great word to you.

Let there be one stone above us,
Standing for a sign:
On one side your name be written
On the other mine.
In my heart your name is lying;
We shall meet where all is true –
From y heart this wish is flying
This is my great word to you.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

47 sec read
59

Quick analysis:

Scheme axaxbcbC dexeacaC dfxfbcbC
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 722
Words 158
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8

Henry Lawson

Henry Lawson 17 June 1867 - 2 September 1922 was an Australian writer and poet Along with his contemporary Banjo Paterson Lawson is among the best-known Australian poets and fiction writers of the colonial period more…

All Henry Lawson poems | Henry Lawson Books

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