Dump The Damsel .
She dismissed the damsel in distress and became the authority on herself. She also had any dull idea of becoming a star, well and truly covered. In conclusion: A sturdy resistance to being dumbed down, could well be her greatest achievement.
(Clunk & Jam book, 2019. Reposted from 2013)
(Clunk & Jam second edition 2019).
Love You Clunk & Jam
When you’ve come from a place of hurt and brokenness and you have lost much and you have these stories and a whole bunch of imaginary friends who continually show up for you no matter what and help you put things back together and you prefer keeping to yourself because when you’ve been hurt or broken you fear the world like nothing else and all the things that could possibly go wrong (again) and you’re fragile and exquisitely sensitive and you want to protect that very precious breakable thing and hiding away feels majorly comfortable and showing yourself feels like being dropped out of a multi-story building but you take fear’s hand and in the other the most strength giving thing you have and together you venture beyond the hurt and brokenness and you’re mildly terrified and slightly excited but you have everything you need to take that brand new step as the one you’ve put back together again and no one can take that from you and you’ve made it and you know from now on you’ll keep on making it and you’ll never be alone again I love you Clunk & Jam .
Clunk & Jam’s Story …
Clunk & Jam evolved from an idea (back in 2008) to create a street newspaper, a printed way to share the art and stories from The Black Dog Project website. This was with some good people who kindly created the Black Dog website – Mike Cairns, Che Douglas and Kareen. Stormie Mills and Miso were some of the artists who kindly agreed to contribute artwork.
(Wingnut Version, 2010).
Even a smacked bottom deserves a seat .
Footnote: We all start out worthy little humans. Deserving of love and care – and our own special seat. But sometimes things go wrong. Don’t go to plan. You make mistakes. Maybe you don’t turn out like you thought you would. Or how others thought you would. Sometimes other people treat you badly. And it’s catchy because you end up treating yourself badly too.
And then this little girl taps you gently on the shoulder and sits you back down in your goodness. And with this kind gesture, you are reminded of the worthy little human you started out as. And so you put the brakes on all the punishing , beating yourself up business. And reintroduce that little human to the love and care that is, and always has been, most definitely deserved.
To coincide with the opening of the 2019 Fremantle Art Centre Print Award, a display including the new edition of Clunk & Jam will be in FOUND. Thank you to India for putting so much time and love into setting up the display and Pia for the very warm support – always.
She grew tired of being so nice.
Footnote story: When you’re a nice person who is caring, kind and considerate of other people’s feelings. It’s quite a blow when you come into contact with people who aren’t nice. Sometimes cruel and hurtful. Careless with their words – and the feelings of others. It can knock you flat.
But then you get back up and learn to be a bit more economical with your niceness. Careful about the amount of good energy you give to certain people and ensure it goes where it is safe,respected and appreciated. And when you feel how bad the opposite to nice feels, you realise just how important it is in the world.
Up Above The World So High .
On the night you’ve gone to the dark, look to the black tinsel sky and see how small you really are. Let it shrink, for a moment, the swell of emotion that engulfs you, anchoring you in your small and fleeting space, so you can feel the splinter of time that holds you here until the next.
(From book, ‘Clunk & Jam’).
For anyone who has experienced overwhelming sense of hopelessness and despair, you’ll know how hard it is pull up out of that space. And it’s not always the ‘light’ that consoles us when in a dark space. This poem arrived at a time when in the grip of one of these moments and how taking myself outside into the dark night and looking up at the stars helped put things in to perspective. Offered reprieve and relief from the state of mind that gripped me ‘inside’. And for those supporting someone in a dark space, it may be helpful to know that you don’t necessarily have to make things ‘bright’, ‘light’ or ‘right’ to help someone. Sometimes just keeping them company, sitting quietly, can help to secure a line to something outside of the head space they feel lost and alone in.
The poem’s picture comes from the documentary film ‘Man on Wire’, about a French tightrope walker who strung a wire between the twin tower buildings in New York and did the impossible.
(Reposted from 2011)
