Willie and Paul
Some say you need the Armed forces to sort a young man out
my 21 drum salute was a Herne Bay building site with 2 wise
brothers
Some say you can’t teach common sense
i learnt lateral thought (like how to knock a coke can, from a block
wall, with a crane hook, using only a walkie talkie but that’s another
poems job)
Willie and Paul
my mates my mentors my industry induction
From the smartest way to use a shovel to how to dog a crane (luff in
luff out)
and a hole of blocks in between like rat is good
luck on a building site
for Friday smoko you fry up last night’s meat raffle on a polished
shovel
how to crew men
and which ones you kick off site (dak is for after, not before)
how to brew workers tea how to get free food by buying
others lunches
footings to fences hammers to hooks
they taught me the book
best of all
the rules
“want some kai help yourself thirsty get a drink
tired have a sleep
you know the rules in my house help yourself”
good advice like not all men are our brothers the others we call cuz
from crack ups to wise ups we did the A-Z of building man
only regret is some memories are light like what were
their last names ?
I always come back to Hunua like the Falls and they were
proud strong and kept on coming on like the time the cops
arrested me for objecting to them closing down our site shout
because neighbouring hotel guests objected to us
Paul stayed at Central till the cops let me out
like I said Hunua Falls
where were they from ?
often think Tuwharetoa cause of the time they told me a story
from Taupo way
There was this farmer who worked hard at not getting on with the
locals so one of the boys Paul i think decided to
steal his prize pig
before he grabbed the pig he fed it a loaf of bread
the bread was stuffed with hot mustard that pig never squealed
again
Then there are times I think they were Tuhoe cause they had big feet
flat noses broad grins and
when they smiled at me i swear i saw bush fairies dance through the
sky
and when I learnt angry words
the mist closed in
From man to mana
it takes more than the A
