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Beausoleil

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Joseph Broussard (1702–1765), also known as Beausoleil, was a leader of the Acadian people in Acadia; later Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Broussard organized a Mi'kmaq and Acadian militias against the British through King George's War, Father Le Loutre's War and during the French and Indian War. After the loss of Acadia to the British, he eventually led the first group of Acadians to southern Louisiana in present-day United States. His name is sometimes presented as Joseph Gaurhept Broussard; this is likely the result of a transcription error

We loved the land
We tilled the earth, under sun we toiled
We pledged our souls, to nature’s whim
The King of France none to pleased

We took the sacraments
We held our faith, mournful to fates embrace
The British demanded a new oath we take
And scalped we were, both sides did partake

Our villages burned, our fields afire
Our woman and children, in hunger perished
We feared Monckton, a hunter of death
And from him, to ships hold, deported at best

We preyed to Canada, to lend us a hand
Evangeline an angel of our land
The darkened forests, to where we fled
Became bloody in battles, and turned to red

For Redcoats wandered in search of scalps
As Father Le Loutre preached unheavenly deeds
He was bloodthirsty and in skirmishes his evil flourished
His Mikmaq warriors helped rivers flow to blood

We lived along the rivers edge
We fought them all, to no one did we pledge
As serfs we served, to whom did rule
In the end, the forest sang our quiet eulogy

The vessels sailed from Halifax
With their human cargo of Partisans
Off to the West Indies, and a new land
Disease triumphed where Lord Laurence failed

And so the voyage, onward went
The traditions of Grand Pre, to Louisiana was lent
And there they settled, peace at last
As angels of their battles, in sacrifice did rest

Copyright © | Year Posted 2013




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Date: 12/5/2020 6:55:00 AM
Thoroughly engaging. Technically a triumph. A difficult story to tell and a lesson that had to be told. Thank you, Arthur.
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Date: 7/2/2017 8:57:00 PM
Breathtaking write, Art! Brilliantly done! WoW
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Date: 4/4/2016 8:01:00 AM
Hi Arthur. Congrats for having your fine work featured in the Poetry Soup home page!!! ;-)
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Date: 6/3/2015 2:07:00 PM
My favourite line of this poem "In the end, the forest sang our quiet eulogy" :)
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Arthur Vaso
Date: 6/4/2015 11:00:00 PM
Thank you Miriam, hope your trip is going well!!!
Date: 6/3/2015 2:06:00 PM
Arthur, this goes beyond the historical information...it's the way you presented it poetically that mostly catches my attention...excellent. // paul
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Arthur Vaso
Date: 6/4/2015 11:00:00 PM
Thanks Paul!!!
Date: 6/3/2015 1:07:00 AM
I enjoyed this story and learned something in the process! 7!
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Arthur Vaso
Date: 6/4/2015 10:59:00 PM
Thanks Richard!!!
Date: 6/2/2015 8:53:00 PM
This is so nice to see this information . I have studied a lot of American history but don't recall mention of his name or many of these stories. Love the line about the quiet eulogy sung in the forest. I like using nature to eulogize people. Reminds me of a song about the Africans who were tossed to sea and they are remembered as berries in the sea in a really nice song, I think called "Four little Girls" (the ones killed in that church in the 60's) Anyway, GREAT poem!!
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Arthur Vaso
Date: 6/4/2015 10:59:00 PM
Thanks Andrea!!! Yes this is a very interesting story indeed, and only a small slice of the the big picture!
Date: 6/2/2015 7:46:00 PM
Poète et historien! Bravo!
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Arthur Vaso
Date: 6/4/2015 10:58:00 PM
Merci!!! xoxo
Date: 5/29/2015 12:25:00 PM
Lovely write on Acadian History!
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Richard Lamoureux
Date: 6/3/2015 1:06:00 AM
You have excellent taste in poets as do I!
Date: 5/21/2013 11:53:00 PM
I love the sense of history and narrative style to this. My favorite line is,"We pledged our souls to Nature's whim.
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Arthur Vaso
Date: 4/25/2015 10:57:00 PM
I missed this comment, thank you so much!
Date: 5/21/2013 3:11:00 AM
- Arthur, an interesting and very well written poem. - oxox / / Anne-Lise :)
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Arthur Vaso
Date: 5/21/2013 4:24:00 PM
thank you very much!!!!!

Book: Reflection on the Important Things