The Gossips <br />stand proudly <br />on their shelf above the kitchen - <br />a singular reminder <br />of Gus McLaren - <br />friend, cartoonist, animator <br />and potter extraordinaire. <br /> <br />I remember <br />pouring Gus <br />into his battered Combi, <br />after many a Sixties party - <br />when the claret <br />came in flagons <br />and cigarette smoking <br />was still sexy. <br /> <br />Gus was an artist. <br />Everything he touched <br />drew the eye. <br />A leftie and a larrikin, <br />he threw pots with ease <br />and a precision that amazed. <br /> <br />Gus never stood upright. <br />He leaned. <br />He was loose-limbed and affable. <br />His long hair hung limply, <br />His head listed to one side. <br /> <br />Mum didn't really approve of Gus, <br />but she liked him, I know. <br />She used to boast <br />how Gus told her once <br />that David and I were <br />'the best brought up kids in Warrandyte'. <br /> <br />I think she agreed with him. <br /> <br />Gus loved chess. <br />In his cups, <br />he could take an hour <br />to make a single move. <br />And he usually won. <br /> <br />His pottery was original and quirky. <br />Each piece held a fragment <br />of his cartoonist past. <br /> <br />He died last year. <br />I heard he had dementia. <br />Apparently the family are still fighting <br />over the will.<br /><br />Alison Cassidy<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/just-gus/
