On Reading Small Holes In The Silence

1

Reading Hone’s poems

I remember sitting with him

at the back of the Town Hall,

Wellington, 2003.

We were listening to poetry,

and then when D Word (Te Kupu) got up

to read, he looked at me

and said, ‘Bloody good to see a

young Māori fella, eh!’

He had a chuckle, a 

glint in his eye, 

happy from the thought…

2

Earlier, in Dunedin, 1999, I was

renting a room at Heriot Row from

Sue and Richard, his caregivers.

They heard I was a poet

and told me Hone was

staying with them

at Cannington Road. Perhaps

I could go around and see him.

But I was too shy to visit.

Hone you were a Giant Kauri, 

still are. How would my 

small roots be around you? 

So, it was great

to finally meet him

that one time. Kia ora Hone

from the heart!

Mark Pirie is an internationally published New Zealand poet, editor, publisher and archivist for PANZA (Poetry Archive of NZ Aotearoa). In 2016, his selected poems, Rock & Roll, was published by Bareknuckle Books, Australia. Other books include a biography, Tom Lawn, Mystery Forward (ESAW, 2018), an artbook Folk Punk (2020) and Gallery (poetry) published by Salt, England, 2003. He is a former founder/editor of JAAM, 1995-2005, publisher for HeadworX, and edited broadsheet: new new zealand poetry from 2008 to 2022. His new book is Black Gold, forthcoming from Earl of Seacliff Art Workshop.

Next >