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“Nisi quis eleifend quam adipiscing vitae aliquet bibendum enim facilisis gravida neque velit euismod in pellentesque massa placerat volutpat lacus.”
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A Caravan of Clowns Makes Mother Earth Smile
At Black Duck Farm (Yumburra), where the Wallagaraugh River whispers ancient stories through Yuin country, we meet Uncle Bruce Pascoe - warrior-scholar, truth-teller, and guardian of forgotten knowledge. Through Dark Emu, he awakened Australia to its agricultural history, facing both acclaim and attacks with quiet dignity. This farm, born from book royalties and vision, isn't just land - it's a living laboratory where ancient practices meet future possibilities, where every blade of grass holds a lesson about survival and renewal.
Dawn arrives with smoke that speaks differently here - mycelium-rich, strong like Bruce himself. His ceremony welcomes grandfather sun while teaching us about black snakes ("let them pass, don't get in their way") and the art of listening to country. There's something profound about watching this man who has shifted Australia's understanding of its own history now teaching us to read the land's living language.
The morning light reveals the farm's purpose - not just growing food, but growing understanding. Every project here challenges colonial myths about Indigenous agriculture, every success proves what Dark Emu argued: this land wasn't empty, it was carefully managed for millennia. Black Duck Foods is a revolution growing from the soil up.
We split into two armies of care. One group tends gardens while mine joins the weed warriors. There's ceremony even in this - moving in straight lines at matched pace, removing what doesn't belong so native grasses can remember their dance. Uncle Bruce teaches us that even weeding is a form of listening, of understanding what the land needs. Every invasive root pulled feels like an act of love for soil that has waited too long for tender hands.
The sun tracks across the sky as we work, and we begin to feel the rhythm that must have guided the first farmers on this land. There's wisdom in the way we must move together, in how the work shapes itself to the day's heat and the wind's whispers. This isn't just labor; it's a form of meditation, of connection.
As afternoon slides into evening, we gather to rehearse for our Melbourne Earth event. Wanni leads one piece while the Professors prepare to join voices with the choir - puppets and people weaving unlikely connections through song. The rehearsal takes on new meaning here, where the land itself feels like an audience member, where every bird call seems to join our chorus.
But it's the night performance that cracks open the sky. We perform for Bruce and Lyn like we're singing the stars into new constellations. Every movement, every note carries our promise to Mother Earth - we remember, we care, we're learning to listen again. The puppets dance with shadows cast by firelight, their movements telling stories that bridge ancient wisdom and future dreams.
Then comes the moment that will echo through our entire tour. Bruce, who'd been watching with careful eyes, takes a deep breath and christens us with words that feel like blessing: "Thank you for making me smile, you caravan of clowns." The phrase carries layers of meaning - recognition of how joy can serve serious purpose, how play can speak truth, how imagination might help heal country.
In those words - part benediction, part poetry - everything aligns. This man who fights daily for truth, who bears the weight of history on his shoulders, who has faced vicious personal attacks for daring to tell Australia's real story, found joy in our offering. His laughter feels like permission to be both serious and playful, to tackle heavy work with light hearts.
And when he tells us Mother Earth was watching and smiling too, we understand something profound about our mission. The work of decolonisation, of ecological healing, of cultural revival - it doesn't always need to wear a serious face.
Sometimes the most important truths can dance, can sing, can make people smile. Sometimes being a aravan of clowns is exactly what the moment needs.
Tomorrow we'll pull more weeds, plant more seeds, learn more lessons. But tonight, we're proud to be Earth's caravan of clowns, using imagination to help heal country. Under stars that have watched this land for millennia, we're learning new ways to be old wisdom's servants.
Your AIME Correspondent,
Still glowing from Mother Earth's smile, still dancing with ancient stories
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit lobortis arcu enim urna adipiscing praesent velit viverra sit semper lorem eu cursus vel hendrerit elementum morbi curabitur etiam nibh justo, lorem aliquet donec sed sit mi dignissim at ante massa mattis egestas.
Vitae congue eu consequat ac felis placerat vestibulum lectus mauris ultrices cursus sit amet dictum sit amet justo donec enim diam porttitor lacus luctus accumsan tortor posuere praesent tristique magna sit amet purus gravida quis blandit turpis.
At risus viverra adipiscing at in tellus integer feugiat nisl pretium fusce id velit ut tortor sagittis orci a scelerisque purus semper eget at lectus urna duis convallis porta nibh venenatis cras sed felis eget neque laoreet suspendisse interdum consectetur libero id faucibus nisl donec pretium vulputate sapien nec sagittis aliquam nunc lobortis mattis aliquam faucibus purus in.
Nisi quis eleifend quam adipiscing vitae aliquet bibendum enim facilisis gravida neque velit euismod in pellentesque massa placerat volutpat lacus laoreet non curabitur gravida odio aenean sed adipiscing diam donec adipiscing tristique risu amet est placerat in egestas erat imperdiet sed euismod nisi.
“Nisi quis eleifend quam adipiscing vitae aliquet bibendum enim facilisis gravida neque velit euismod in pellentesque massa placerat volutpat lacus.”
Eget lorem dolor sed viverra ipsum nunc aliquet bibendum felis donec et odio pellentesque diam volutpat commodo sed egestas aliquam sem fringilla ut morbi tincidunt augue interdum velit euismod eu tincidunt tortor aliquam nulla facilisi aenean sed adipiscing diam donec adipiscing ut lectus arcu bibendum at varius vel pharetra nibh venenatis cras sed felis eget.
