calmkate

Leunig’s poetry

PEACE
Peace is my drug;
It stops the pain.
In safe reflecting rooms
Or in a lane,
Or in a park,
I will lie
And have some peace
And get high.
If it’s pure
And there’s a lot of it about
I overdose
And pass out
And dream of peace:
My favourite thing
When nobody wants me
And nothing’s happening.

by Michael Leunig

Have previously posted a few Leunig cartoons as I’ve been a fan for many years and his cartoons appear in quite a range of newspapers. But as I don’t purchase newspapers I’m left to search for his art when I find things wrapped in newspaper.

Recently our ABC ivew has published more interesting material to entertain us during lockdown such as ballet, orchestras and theatre. One fan faithfully followed Leunig about for five years hoping to make a film of his life. What he collected were ‘fragments’ or snapshots of this guys life and work.

Leunig’s poetry was a new discovery for me but his website shares a lot. It’s short and simple but awesomely profound!

Some take away points from those ‘fragments’

He had an epiphany when his teacher “allowed him to be himself”
“find where you belong and be true to your culture”
“her spirituality was lived, it wasn’t proclaimed”

34 comments

  6. Thank you for honoring Leunig…his artwork and poetry! You introduced me to him in your past posts! And then I researched him. (BTW: I love his hair!) One of his poems I really like is about the baby in the pram. He certainly tells it like it is! He is someone I’d like to meet. I’d love to ask him questions and listen to his answers.
    (((HUGS))) 🙂

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    • he’s hair is rather gorgeous! He’s very reclusive that’s why the filmmaker only had ‘fragments’ after five years of huge effort!

      Philip Adams, another hero of mine, was one of the very few interviewed about him … he said something like “those who bare their souls to the world tend to be intensely private”.

      He was the second eldest of five, his parents met at the meatworks where they worked. He is completely separated from his family of origin and his two wives and three children, one son did get involved … at the very end Leunig states he is an artist but he’s also a father. Yet his strongest connection is with that primary school teacher he kept in close contact with until she died during filming. She is the one he quotes … so that was a friendship of more than 60 years!

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      • Thank you for sharing all of this with me!

        I think people who are not artistic, don’t realize that artists, including writers, poets, dancers, photographers, painters, sculptors, ETC, often bare themselves…and their hearts and souls…in their work. Their work can be so very personal and sometimes based on personal pain. I greatly admire artists of all kinds!
        🙂

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  11. Thank you for sharing this kate.. i love about his spirituality being lived not proclaimed as this reminds me of some people back home who probably could memorize all sorts of prayers and present in all sorts of church services and werw very vocal about their spituality but wait until you get to know the real them outside the church and you would be surprised

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