out
Shoulder under arm put
Breezes cleanser
Twig sole war
Infernal come bastion
Ensigns wearing big shoes
osculate aside
decide to kick off
& in bare feet
leap first thing
on frigid blades
1962
Breezes cleanser
Twig sole war
Infernal come bastion
Ensigns wearing big shoes
osculate aside
decide to kick off
& in bare feet
leap first thing
on frigid blades
1962
'I am one of those people who let's life wash over me'
An old classmate said that to me after rehearsal
At the Playhouse in the early 60s
We were sitting in the stalls in the half dark
The thick padded old seats squeaked as we breathed
I think I may gone along just to chat her up
I had no interest in the play at all
Just noticed her name on the billboard
& on impulse went in looking for her
So long ago now I don't even remember her name
What she said that afternoon has kept floating
around in my head, popping up periodically
an enduring echo from the past
dissolved into a backlog of peculiar memories
her face, the smell & shape of her young body
her fine repertoire of gestures & smiles are gone
perhaps she was wise beyond her years
sometimes I wonder if she memorized that line
& loved to swirl it around in her mouth
that day I just happened to be around to catch it
that day I got more than I bargained for
An old classmate said that to me after rehearsal
At the Playhouse in the early 60s
We were sitting in the stalls in the half dark
The thick padded old seats squeaked as we breathed
I think I may gone along just to chat her up
I had no interest in the play at all
Just noticed her name on the billboard
& on impulse went in looking for her
So long ago now I don't even remember her name
What she said that afternoon has kept floating
around in my head, popping up periodically
an enduring echo from the past
dissolved into a backlog of peculiar memories
her face, the smell & shape of her young body
her fine repertoire of gestures & smiles are gone
perhaps she was wise beyond her years
sometimes I wonder if she memorized that line
& loved to swirl it around in her mouth
that day I just happened to be around to catch it
that day I got more than I bargained for
TROUT
Don't mind the mind
mine is empty much of the time
An empty mind is full of potential
Trout sat opposite me on the train
We were strangers passing the time just talking
She said, ' Speed is Everything'
She stretch out her tattooed fingers
She had etched TROUT on her right hand
SPEED on her left hand
Sometimes I think about her
If she's not dead she'll probably be a granny
If you meet her say HELLO from me
Love her smiling eyes
1961
mine is empty much of the time
An empty mind is full of potential
Trout sat opposite me on the train
We were strangers passing the time just talking
She said, ' Speed is Everything'
She stretch out her tattooed fingers
She had etched TROUT on her right hand
SPEED on her left hand
Sometimes I think about her
If she's not dead she'll probably be a granny
If you meet her say HELLO from me
Love her smiling eyes
1961
Stiff wind
We stumbled often on the stubble from sunrise until dusk
grabbing fescue sheaves under each arm
standing back to the wind
to thrust the stalk butts into the earth
six, eight, ten, even twelve together
to dry out for a few days.
Periodically we raised our heads
looking out for the farm truck
& Auntie May with the stacks of
buttered scones, tomato sandwiches
mugs of hot tea with many repeats
& as many spoonfuls of honey as you like
ducking off thru the fence afterward
for a leak or a bog.
Then long back breaking days
forking sheaves to the mill
a knotted handkerchief over mouth & nose
with chaff & fine dust flying,
‘just keep them coming along steady
young fellow, ' Ralph on the bagging shouted
Too quick & you’ll run out of puff
or maybe jam the rollers up.
Back to the hut with dust in our ears, up the nose
to take turns soaking in the same hot water
rinsing clobber in the bathwater &
throwing over the barbed wire fence
to catch the drying Southland wind thru the night
a few beers & the evening feed
hitting the sack & snoring until morning
& another whack at it.
I was 16 that year & got six shillings an hour.
Hamilton
In Memory of Ralph & Auntie May Hennan.
grabbing fescue sheaves under each arm
standing back to the wind
to thrust the stalk butts into the earth
six, eight, ten, even twelve together
to dry out for a few days.
Periodically we raised our heads
looking out for the farm truck
& Auntie May with the stacks of
buttered scones, tomato sandwiches
mugs of hot tea with many repeats
& as many spoonfuls of honey as you like
ducking off thru the fence afterward
for a leak or a bog.
Then long back breaking days
forking sheaves to the mill
a knotted handkerchief over mouth & nose
with chaff & fine dust flying,
‘just keep them coming along steady
young fellow, ' Ralph on the bagging shouted
Too quick & you’ll run out of puff
or maybe jam the rollers up.
Back to the hut with dust in our ears, up the nose
to take turns soaking in the same hot water
rinsing clobber in the bathwater &
throwing over the barbed wire fence
to catch the drying Southland wind thru the night
a few beers & the evening feed
hitting the sack & snoring until morning
& another whack at it.
I was 16 that year & got six shillings an hour.
In Memory of Ralph & Auntie May Hennan.
I wrote this recently - this year I think & I don't think I sent it on to you. Paddy worked for May & Ralph around that time. He set up the Eel & venison export trade to Europe out of Mossburn around that time - 1950s. When I was in high school I went down for a couple of Xmas holidays to help Uncle Lex with the bees. His place was just over the road from the Heenans. Ralph was my Uncle Stan Heenan's best man when he married mum's sister. They lived along the road a few miles closer to Nightcaps where mum was born & grew up. Her nephews, my cousins are still there running Donald Sinclair & sons - builders & funeral directors. Before I went to Otago Uni - end of 1962 I drove tractor & forked to the mill for Ralph & over the years have kept in contact. Last time Matilda & I were in NZ we called in to see May with mum. Ralph was already gone & May was quite ill. Of all the people I knew in my younger years this childless couple were more like uncle & auntie to me than any of my blood relatives.
To Margaret
We kissed
the moisture lingered
people stared in vacant curiosity
& your uncertain smile
savoured my departure
We kissed
the moisture lingered
people stared in vacant curiosity
& your uncertain smile
savoured my departure
1962
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