February photo challenge: 8th Feb, Sun

There’s no real sun in my city today.  Just clouds.  So I searched through my father’s poetry book;  here’s the beginning of a poem about the merciless sun that Australians often live under.  The poem is attributed to M.A.N., 1941;  the illustration is by Ron Bruce.

Anthology of Ron Bruce, 'Bloody Sunshine', attributed to M.A.N., 1941, illustration by Ron Bruce

Hope

A few poems in the anthology are copies of other soldiers’ work.  Several are written by girlfriends and wives left back in Australia.  They always express hope that they’ll see their men again, as in these two verses:

  ‘The Blues’, author unknown
 ‘The Blues’, From an Australian Girl to her Soldier Boy, in Egypt

Peaceful

Like this week’s photo challenge, the following poem and its miniature illustration also have a peaceful theme.  My father was in the Middle East in 1941 thinking about the sun rising in his home country.  I give you the first of four stanzas.

From the anthology of Ron Bruce.  Poet unknown,  illustration by Ron Bruce 1941