Rudyard and Carrie Kipling visiting Loos Cemetery
When Rudyard Kipling lost his son John, who died and disappeared in Loos in 1915, he wrote this poem:
Have You News of my Boy Jack?
"Have you news of my boy Jack?"
Not this tide.
"When d'you think that he'll come back?"
Not with this wind blowing, and this tide.
"Has any one else had word of him?"
Not this tide.
For what is sunk will hardly swim,
Not with this wind blowing, and this tide."Oh, dear, what comfort can I find?"
None this tide,
Nor any tide,
Except he did not shame his kind -
Not even with that wind blowing, and that tide.Then hold your head up all the more,
This tide,
And every tide;
Because he was the son you bore,
And gave to that wind blowing and that tide.
In 1917 the poem was made into a song. If you click here you hear it sung by Louis Kirkby-Lunn.