Albert Namatjira

Albert Namatjira was a landscape painter of world renown A proud western Arrernte man from Alice Springs town During his life he was not a rich man Living with his people off the land When in Alice Springs and needing a lift around He’d hire a taxi for a ride into town Offering a painting for the fare Sometimes those accepted were thrown away without care These drivers would now shake their head At the prize they tossed away instead And what the world lost in their foolishness Of Namatjira’s art as one of the best. © Paul Warren Poetry