He Was So Young For One To Die Poem by Francis Duggan

He was so young for one die and in such a painful way
The teenage body surfer who died of shark bite in Northern New South Wales today
Just sixteen years a decade from his prime his best years of him ahead
The family are left to grieve when they bury their dead.

Sharks they are innocent killers though not choosy what they eat
They do not differentiate to them meat is just meat
Yet sharks have a voracious appetite they must eat to stay alive
And those who swim in their waters do need luck to survive.

To achieve great things and grow old and gray for him not meant to be
And to die the death that he did die perhaps his destiny
Those who have survived a shark attack to say the least are rare
And those who go surfing or swimming in the sea of danger should feel aware.

He did not live to achieve great things and then grow old and gray
We all fulfil our destiny as some are known to say
He did die in a tragic way doing what he did enjoy
In the sea near Ballina in New South Wales the teenage surf loving boy.