The Good Man .
Where are all the good men, who see us. Hear us. Touch us with a gentle hand. Tie our bow. Kiss us dryly on the cheek. And love us in our strength.
Where are all the good men, who mind us in our fragile state. Cradle us as you would a broken bird. Not to satisfy a need within themselves. Nor to forever stroke our weakness. But to strengthen the flight they wish for us to take.
Where are all the good men, who can accept without threat, all we invite and excite over. Remain seated throughout the pleasure of each unbridled offering. And protect the innocence of the gift.
Where are all the good men, who safe keep precious pieces we discard. Hear our strange and distant song. Follow notes beyond the noise. And return knowingly without taking.
Where are all the good men, who keep light and air in windows high. Flowers on the stairs. Who hold a mirror quietly to the side, so we can recognise the newness and the goodness in ourselves. Comprehend the whole of who we are. And fear no more the stage.
Where are all the good men, who wait well outside our hiding place. Offer not hand but time. A refuge where within we tend neglected hurts. Slow to a halt from our exhaustive run. And bring to life our dreams.
Where is the good man, so sure and steady in stride, he invites us into our own. Where we unite in all our consciousness with the good man in ourselves.
Where we feel the fearlessness of taking our very first step. And release ourselves from an endless edge.
(Reposted from 2016. Written August, 2015. Pictured: Poem emerged from book read on Rottnest Island, 2015). )
(Clunk & Jam book 2019)
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As the catch of responsibility drifted out of the saving, there was little left for Flipper Girl to do except wonder beyond the fishbowl of seriously fogged goggles.
(Flipper Girl Series appears in Clunk & Jam book, 2019).
Footnote:
Flipper Girl arrived in 2015. Taking responsibility for others, or when others don’t take responsibility for what they’ve done, can be heavy business. Until someone like Flipper Girl taps you on the shoulder and says; “Hey, it’s not your fault.” And takes you on a trip to a new place….
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Stories are at the center of everything. The most powerful and potentially debilitating being the ones inside our head. The stories we tell ourselves. The erosive stories we’ve been told. Stories formed from our experiences. That’s why it’s so vital we have access to and seek out alternative stories that give us strength and hope. Help us realise our full potential. Particularly our children and young people.
Not in a ‘Be wealthy and successful and famous’ way. But to be kind enough to ourselves that we can then go out into the world more securely and do good. Be a thriving, kind, compassionate and caring human being. But that starts from within.
The Army of Ink and all the characters are the carriers of stories full of strength, hope and possibility. They pitch an alternative to what we’re being told (and sold) through social media and popular culture.
They put a caring arm around our shoulder and keep us safe and strong. Encourage us to think and question what makes us who we are. Help us take back some control over our sense of self. Our lives. Our world. And our future …
Find The Army of Ink including Robin Small, Amelia Bloom and Rose and Boots and their stories across five parks in Melville. See Melville Storylines for information. Instagram @browneink.
And the Little Engine said; “I think I can. I think I can.”
‘The Little Engine That Could’ is a folktale originating from 1906 used to teach children the value of optimism and hard work. The underlying theme is a stranded train unable to find an engine willing to take it on over the difficult terrain to its destination. Only the little blue engine is willing to try and, while repeating the ‘I think I can’ mantra, overcomes a seemingly impossible task.
A good story to ride on when things seem impossible. And a reminder of the importance of little blue engines in life.
BOy Series, 2009. Similar posts in BOY Topic in Blog & featured in Clunk & Jam book. Reposted from June 2021.
Art by Philip Guston (Original in Colour). Story from The Red Hand Files by Nick Cave.
Following the last few years I’m feeling empty and more cynical than ever. I’m losing faith in other people, and I’m scared to pass these feelings to my little son. Do you still believe in Us (human beings)?
“Hopefulness is the warrior emotion that can lay waste to cynicism. Each redemptive or loving act, as small as you like, Valerio, such as reading to your little boy, or showing him a thing you love, or singing him a song, or putting on his shoes, keeps the devil down in the hole. It says the world and its inhabitants have value and are worth defending. It says the world is worth believing in. In time, we come to find that it is so.” Full response ….
Dear Valerio,
You are right to be worried about your growing feelings of cynicism and you need to take action to protect yourself and those around you, especially your child. Cynicism is not a neutral position — and although it asks almost nothing of us, it is highly infectious and unbelievably destructive. In my view, it is the most common and easy of evils.
I know this because much of my early life was spent holding the world and the people in it in contempt. It was a position both seductive and indulgent. The truth is, I was young and had no idea what was coming down the line. I lacked the knowledge, the foresight, the self-awareness. I just didn’t know. It took a devastation to teach me the preciousness of life and the essential goodness of people. It took a devastation to reveal the precariousness of the world, of its very soul, to understand that it was crying out for help. It took a devastation to understand the idea of mortal value, and it took a devastation to find hope.
Unlike cynicism, hopefulness is hard-earned, makes demands upon us, and can often feel like the most indefensible and lonely place on Earth. Hopefulness is not a neutral position either. It is adversarial. It is the warrior emotion that can lay waste to cynicism. Each redemptive or loving act, as small as you like, Valerio, such as reading to your little boy, or showing him a thing you love, or singing him a song, or putting on his shoes, keeps the devil down in the hole. It says the world and its inhabitants have value and are worth defending. It says the world is worth believing in. In time, we come to find that it is so.
Love, Nick
Boots the Clown, World’s Greatest Act is a story of comfort and hope during COVID times. Boots arrived during lock down early 2020. Please know you can freely share and pass on this link to others and print out the poster or concertina book/story panel. Video instructions on Instagram @browneink.
Free to print A4 posters/concertina book, with instructions (below and above). Print, frame or stick up story panels. Make a concertina book for window sills, desks, mantle pieces – do something of your own. Free to print A3 poster.
The World’s Greatest Act Part I…
‘Boots’ the Clown was a worrier (underneath). Boots worried about all the troubles right around the world. Boots worried it was getting harder and harder for those struggling to be heard and seen amidst the din of selling, frenzy of buying and the glare of celebrity.
Endlessly, Boots worried about the children. The fires. Trees. Animals. The ocean. The air. And that one day, everything would be lost. All of these worries felt impossible to do anything about. Until, one strange day, the curtain went up.
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