[Editor: This poem by John O’Brien was published in Around the Boree Log and Other Verses, 1921.]
Laughing Mary
With cheeks that paled the rosy morn
She bounded o’er the heather,
And romped with us among the corn
When we were kids together.
Her mother’s help, her mother’s mate.
Her mother’s darling daughter,
When riper mind and more sedate
The rapid years had brought her.
As pure as air from mountain snows,
As dainty as a fairy,
As fetching as the native rose,
And always — Laughing Mary.
A little mother round about,
The happy sunshine bringing —
You’d see her bustle in and out,
A-working and a-singing;
And then the soul of Casey’s place,
The love, the light, the laughter.
When friendship showed its cheery face,
And music shook the rafter;
And many a lad went home to find
A haunting sweet vagary
Was rambling softly through his mind
Because of Laughing Mary.
But when the smiling stars were blurred,
And someone’s heart was bleeding,
She flew as flies the homing bird,
With balms of comfort speeding.
An angel in a sweet disguise,
She filled the measure over,
While tears stood sparkling in her eyes
Like rain-drops on the clover;
And many a head bowed low to pray,
Howe’er her skies might vary,
The years would bless her on her way
And keep her Laughing Mary.
Published in:
John O’Brien. Around the Boree Log and Other Verses, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1921
I know two of Mary Casey’s great great granddaughters.
In 2023 they are 6 and 3yrs old displaying all the characteristics of laughing Mary.
The soul of Mary lives on a hundred years since.
Now living in Northmead NSW and soon to move to Queensland.
Mary moved to St George Queensland in early 20th century raising, I believe 8 girls and three boys.
One of the boys, Jim, produced Moores Softdrinks. If you grew up in south-east QLD or Northern NSW you probably had had a drink or two of Jim’s.
I myself am the grandson of Mary, born to Jo. Mary’s eldest daughter..
Jo Jo, as we loved to call her, whom also had within her the soul of Mary.
The Spirit of laughing Mary beautifully penned by John O’Brien’s lives on through the generations.
Georgia and Olivia..the great great grand daughters of Mary are at present attending year 2 and Kindy respectively at Scarborough state school
I loved this poem when I was a child at St Patricks Kogarah School back in the early fifties. I still remember it. I am a Queenslander now.