Patrick was my great, grandfathers nephew; my grandfathers first cousin or my fathers first cousin, once removed; above all he is Australia's only Nobel Prize winner for literature.
PW was an activist who loathed traditional views yet was raised in very conservative surrounds. To most Australians, he was an enigma.
In 1976 when I was convalescing from a debilitating car accident my mother gave me a book of poetry to read by Patrick White, from the Belltrees library. The title was The Ploughman and I was informed that this particular copy was 1 of only two copies left in existance as Patrick had destroyed the rest. Perhaps he never saw himself as a poet.
Its title is Futility and its verse goes something like this;
The air , the earth and the sea make mock of futile things like me.
Crumbs related to the crust, life to death , iron to rust.
As naught can alter then i must be me until I change to dust.
I decided to etch illustrations to the poem and hand it in as my major work for the HSC. Perhaps I should bring them out from storage and hang them on the wall in my office to remind us all of what an amazing man he really was.
Life is a new beginning,it started on 15th March 2016. I saw a bird in acrobatic flight, larger than a finch,smaller than an Indian minah,it was pale lemon in livery and it's mate olive(don't go there).My curiosity took me to the "net" as the only avions I had ever seen with such livery were the canary and hybrid budgies.I spoke to a ornithologist,he spoke of things such as escapees et- alia and chose not to tease from the ignorant observer a clue or two as to descriptors.Being a traveller from far away from Aberdeen NSW, I delved further to ascertain a local expert,who should I find? H.L. White, what a journey,what a family,from strata to strata I plod, forgetting the birds momentarily,vicariously living the life of the family which one could only admire.Today I meet a octgenarian who was a teacher around these brooks and crannies in circa 1952 and how he "mooned" over this striking beauty Judy Crossing (I had mentioned your mum Dr J White) apropos my need to solve the identity of these airborne acrobats and the connection with this family and birds. I am greatly moved by your heat that beats in your "blog",tis the spirit of those that went before you,it lives in you,never loose it, as Aborigine, tell the story often and to all,for it is the essence of life itself. peace. ps I will call upon you if I may,the birds!
ReplyDeleteLife is a new beginning,it started on 15th March 2016. I saw a bird in acrobatic flight, larger than a finch,smaller than an Indian minah,it was pale lemon in livery and it's mate olive(don't go there).My curiosity took me to the "net" as the only avions I had ever seen with such livery were the canary and hybrid budgies.I spoke to a ornithologist,he spoke of things such as escapees et- alia and chose not to tease from the ignorant observer a clue or two as to descriptors.Being a traveller from far away from Aberdeen NSW, I delved further to ascertain a local expert,who should I find? H.L. White, what a journey,what a family,from strata to strata I plod, forgetting the birds momentarily,vicariously living the life of the family which one could only admire.Today I meet a octgenarian who was a teacher around these brooks and crannies in circa 1952 and how he "mooned" over this striking beauty Judy Crossing (I had mentioned your mum Dr J White) apropos my need to solve the identity of these airborne acrobats and the connection with this family and birds. I am greatly moved by your heat that beats in your "blog",tis the spirit of those that went before you,it lives in you,never loose it, as Aborigine, tell the story often and to all,for it is the essence of life itself. peace. ps I will call upon you if I may,the birds!
ReplyDeleteLife is a new beginning,it started on 15th March 2016. I saw a bird in acrobatic flight, larger than a finch,smaller than an Indian minah,it was pale lemon in livery and it's mate olive(don't go there).My curiosity took me to the "net" as the only avions I had ever seen with such livery were the canary and hybrid budgies.I spoke to a ornithologist,he spoke of things such as escapees et- alia and chose not to tease from the ignorant observer a clue or two as to descriptors.Being a traveller from far away from Aberdeen NSW, I delved further to ascertain a local expert,who should I find? H.L. White, what a journey,what a family,from strata to strata I plod, forgetting the birds momentarily,vicariously living the life of the family which one could only admire.Today I meet a octgenarian who was a teacher around these brooks and crannies in circa 1952 and how he "mooned" over this striking beauty Judy Crossing (I had mentioned your grand mum Dr J White) apropos my need to solve the identity of these airborne acrobats and the connection with this family and birds. I am greatly moved by your heart that beats in your "blog",tis the spirit of those that went before you,it lives in you,never loose it, as the Aborigine, tell the story often and to all,for it is the essence of life itself. peace. ps I will call upon you if I may,the birds!
ReplyDeleteLife is a new beginning,it started on 15th March 2016. I saw a bird in acrobatic flight, larger than a finch,smaller than an Indian minah,it was pale lemon in livery and it's mate olive(don't go there).My curiosity took me to the "net" as the only avions I had ever seen with such livery were the canary and hybrid budgies.I spoke to a ornithologist,he spoke of things such as escapees et- alia and chose not to tease from the ignorant observer a clue or two as to descriptors.Being a traveller from far away from Aberdeen NSW, I delved further to ascertain a local expert,who should I find? H.L. White, what a journey,what a family,from strata to strata I plod, forgetting the birds momentarily,vicariously living the life of the family which one could only admire.Today I meet a octgenarian who was a teacher around these brooks and crannies in circa 1952 and how he "mooned" over this striking beauty Judy Crossing (I had mentioned your grand mum Dr J White) apropos my need to solve the identity of these airborne acrobats and the connection with this family and birds. I am greatly moved by your heart that beats in your "blog",tis the spirit of those that went before you,it lives in you,never loose it, as the Aborigine, tell the story often and to all,for it is the essence of life itself. peace. ps I will call upon you if I may,the birds!
ReplyDelete