. . . Poetry Notes

Summer 2015 Volume 5, Issue 4

ISSN 1179-7681 Quarterly Newsletter of PANZA

some responsibility for the New Inside this Issue Welcome Zealand baby boomer litterateurs. We had a student literary magazine Argot Hello and welcome to issue 20 of for which Dennis List was an editor in Welcome Poetry Notes, the newsletter of PANZA, the mid 1960s. He may have first 1 the newly formed Poetry Archive of published . Niel Wright on Mark Young Aotearoa. Dennis List also included three poems and Poetry as Intellectual Poetry Notes will be published quarterly by Mark Young, born 1941 so an earlier and will include information about Construct crop. Young trained as a classical goings on at the Archive, articles on musician but professionally became a Comment on Dick Bird historical New Zealand poets of interest, pop musician. He wrote his first poem (1925-1984) occasional poems by invited poets and a in 1959 and it appeared in the New 2 record of recently received donations to Zealand Listener. He went to Classic New Zealand the Archive. in 1969 and no more was heard of him poetry by Dorothy Gard’ner Articles and poems are copyright in the as a poet, though he went on writing 3 names of the individual authors. poetry. But in 2000 Alan Brunton, Tribute to Les Cleveland The newsletter will be available for free Murray Edmond and download from the Poetry Archive’s edited an anthology Big Smoke poems 4 website: 1958-1975 and they chased up Mark Further comment on Robert J Pope Young and included eight of his early http://poetryarchivenz.wordpress.com 5 poems. [The actual book title gives 1960-1975, though some poems were New publication: When earlier than 1960]. This stimulated Harry Met Marion by 6 Young to look out his poetry folders and Rowan Gibbs Niel Wright on in the last 15 years since then he has had New publication by Mark Young published nearly 2000 pages of his 8 PANZA member poetry, via overseas publishers. This earned him some attention in New Wellington poet, publisher and literary Donate to PANZA through Zealand and Mark Pirie has been in critic Niel Wright discusses the work of PayPal contact with him and as a result Mark Australian-based Mark Young recently Young has now donated eight of his Recently received donated to PANZA. poetry books to PANZA to complete donations our collection (we had only five, one ON MARK YOUNG AND POETRY early which Dr Michael O’Leary bought About the Poetry Archive AS INTELLECTUAL CONSTRUCT at auction recently). 9 by Niel Wright I say of my own poetry that each of my poems is an intellectual construct. I am In the 1960s, I was a background quite prepared to ask of any other poet, PANZA influence on the baby boomer is each of his or her poems also an 1 Woburn Road generation here in the capital intellectual construct? But as Coleridge Northland Wellington as they related to poetry. insists a poem and specifically a good Wellington 6012 Dennis List was a leader of the poem must be something else besides an generation that way. I realise that I have intellectual construct.

...... Summer 2015 Mark Young’s first poem ‘Lizard’ in expressed in the Germanic motto, Als ik a new contributor with one poem ‘The 1959 was a clever bit of Eliotesquery. I kan ik vil. In this frame of mind I Quarrel’. am prepared to believe subsequently returned to literary activity….My Dennis List was one of the editors of Dennis List shared some similarities strategy in this writing was to do what I Argot 13, Autumn 1965, which includes with Young in the 1960s. I described could, without literary pretension or three poems by Mark Young who is the sort of poetry we might go on to sophistication, simply in terms of the described as a former editor of Argot, write as “more nihilistic than in the past cultural background. Necessarily it was now at Auckland. Argot 14, Winter in New Zealand, unsentimental and impersonal and objective, and drew on 1965, had the same editors and includes humorous rather than tragic.” pop.” and page xxviii: “I was convinced Bill Manhire’s poem ‘Threnody’ with a I read four of Mark Young’s recent in the early 1960s that conditions on the profile of him as a new contributor. poems. Young is writing serious social literary scene in Aotearoa were right for Argot 17, August 1967, includes a poem criticism, coded as it may be. This is the a new start….My critical stance to our by Niel Wright. Modernist approach. literary predecessors at this point, 1965- I agree Young’s are intellectual 1966, was dismissive; but it is fair to constructs, he can be traditional, and say that at least the new start which I Comment on Mark Pirie appreciates Young’s oeuvre wanted to see was in place.” in the William Carlos Williams and Coleridge’s Definition of Poetry Dick Bird semiotics genre. Biographia Literaria, Chapter 14, pages Pirie is including one of Mark Young’s 148-150, in the Everyman edition: “A poems and three of the American poem is that species of composition DICK BIRD’S NEW ZEALAND traditionalist Cameron La Follette in which is opposed to works of science by CRICKET POEMS broadsheet 14. Mark Pirie has selected a proposing for its immediate object poem of Mark Young’s that has a more pleasure, not truth; and from all other In this Summer issue of Poetry Notes obvious coherence than is usually the species (having this object in common and with the ICC Cricket World Cup case with him. with it) it is discriminated by proposing approaching, it seems appropriate to I tell this story to show how links and to itself such delight from the whole as include a cricket-related article. influences continue over the decades is compatible with a distinct At a book fair, Mark Pirie bought for among people who end up with some gratification from each component PANZA a collection of poems and interest in common. Another of my part.” writings by New Zealand poet Dick contacts in the 1960s is now the prestige The four poems of Mark Young I read Bird, an emigrant from England, publisher operating out of the capital. recently were in Falsely Goethe (2007), privately published in 1984. There is no Same story. Another name would be pages 5-8: Day One, Day Two, Day ISBN and no copy in the National Bill Sutton, who read and admired my Three, Day Four. Library of New Zealand. He is the near poetry in the 1960s, and has just had his Mark Young’s 1959 poem published in namesake of famous English umpire first book of poetry (at 69) appear from the New Zealand Listener was ‘Lizard’, Dickie Bird. Two cricket poems (as well said publisher. And I could give dozens reprinted in Big Smoke pages 42-3, as rugby verses) c1970s are amongst his of other cases showing how what giving New Zealand Listener (11 collected newspaper poetry: happens in the capital continues to December 1959) for original resonate among a group that I publication. The note on page 342 is in Dick Bird deliberately set out to build up from error about the year. 1958 onwards following the death of Experiment 7 no date 1960, Mark UNTITLED A R D Fairburn in 1957 which I saw at Young as editor writes only a short the time as the extinction of 1930s editorial. In these toilsome, troubled times Modernism in New Zealand. Experiment 8 no date 1961? includes There are international crimes four poems by Mark Young. Which may cause an Englishman to Citations Argot Vol 2 No 4 = Argot 9 October raise his brow, 1963, edited by John Parkyn, includes Things like famine, fire and food Citations substantiating and elaborating four poems by Mark Young. And revolutions, spilling blood, points made above Mark Young was the editor of Argot 10, These are things he understands and The prescriptions I gave for poetry are February-April 1964, where he appears will allow. stated in my Notes to The Alexandrians, as translator of a poem by Paul Eluard; Books 1-60, page 54, and the article and of Argot 11, May-June 1964, in But what he cannot tolerate ‘The Literary Scene in 1968’ which which Dennis List first appears with a Is one filled with hate originally appeared in Salient, 24 May story; and of Argot 12, October 1964, in That he deserves no place upon this 1968. which Young appears as translator of earth, Notes to The Alexandrians, Books 1-60, three poems by Paul Eluard. Understanding not the cricket page vi: “By late 1958 I had come to ’s New Zealand Poetry He mutilates the wicket accept the existential motivation Yearbook 1964 includes Mark Young as By digging into spots of sacred turf. 2 ...... Poetry Archive Such crime is so unreasonable died from cancer. His booklet contains She and Cuthbert then went on the It’s definitely unseasonable around 160 popular rhyming verses Fuller vaudeville circuit, and in the Without the slightest wit of rhyme or c1973-1984. summer of 1917 started the ‘Pebbles’ reason company, centred in Geelong and No-one could be that bad touring through Victoria. In July that Unless, of course, he’s mad, Classic New Zealand year they left for what was to be a six- I mean to say – this is the cricket month engagement with the Steel- season. poetry Payne Bellringers in South , but they settled there, successfully touring WELL BOWLED, SIR comedy shows and pantomimes and This issue’s classic New Zealand poetry then founding a school of elocution in There was an age in times serene is by New Zealand children’s writer and Johannesburg. Cuthbert (born in When cricket on the village green poet Dorothy Gard’ner (1884-1955) and Cornwall in 1879) died there in 1946 Was a gentle game, all vicars, tea and is contributed by Rowan Gibbs: and Dorothy in 1955. tents. Much of what Dorothy wrote was But we’ve left that age behind Dorothy Maitland Gard’ner was born produced on stage but little was And the game today, we find, in Avonside, , on October published. She wrote a number of short Is much more warlike, savage and 18th 1884. Her parents, Maitland and stories, which appeared in Australian intense. Kate Gard’ner, had arrived in periodicals, and published a book of Christchurch from London in 1883, her plays and two books of poems: Today each bowler must have pace, moving to Dunedin in 1899 where Pierrot, and other poems for recitation He must show he hates the human race, Dorothy attended St Hilda’s Collegiate (, 1916); Verses for South He must also love the art of bodyline. School. Hers was a large musical African children; grown up, or So that each express rip-snorter family – her father, originally a otherwise (Pretoria: Van Schaik, 1936); Will cut off the batsman’s water merchant and run-owner, had studied and Little Modern Plays for Girls Or at least push all his ribs back through and taught music in London, and (London: Harrap 1939). (No copies are his spine. became a leading local singer, singing held by New Zealand libraries.) teacher and choirmaster, and was also He must giggle, grin and chuckle an amateur actor and playwright; his As he sees each batsman buckle, wife Kate accompanied him on the Be convinced each ball will triumph piano, and Dorothy’s sisters Cecily and over bat. Helen were accomplished singers. And when his victim’s lying prone, Dorothy was acting at age 15 but a Just survey each broken bone. lengthy illness prevented her from Then smile and quietly ask, “Howzat.” going to university; however by 1902 she was teaching music in Dunedin and Poems © Dick Bird 1984 singing (soprano) in concerts. In 1910 she moved to Melbourne (from Dick Bird’s Writings and Poems, spending three months learning 1984) musical comedy with Clarke and Meynell, then in March 1911 joined Dennis (Dick) William Bird (1925-84), Edward Branscombe’s ‘Frolics’ troupe was born in Tottenham, London, in Perth; the company included English

England, and emigrated to New Zealand comedian Cuthbert Rose whom she Miss Marguerite Leroy and Miss Dorothy would marry. She and Cuthbert later in July 1950. He worked for the Gard’ner in the “Rendezvous” duet Railways Workshop, Woburn, Lower played in Branscombe’s ‘Blue (New Zealand Free Lance, Volume XV, Hutt, and then moved to Auckland Dandies’ and ‘Violet Dandies’ Issue 783, 7 May 1915, page 28) where he was married in 1951. He spent companies, touring widely in Australia 33 of his 34 New Zealand years and New Zealand. Song and poem by Dorothy Gard’ner working for the Post Office and living Dorothy was known for her in various areas of New Zealand with vivaciousness and versatilty, very SECRETS, words by Dorothy his wife and children. He published his popular as a comedienne, singer, Gard’ner; music by Clifton Boanas poetry in a regular newspaper column mimic, and “monolinguist”, and she for a regional (probably a Central wrote and co-wrote a number of A little bird has told me, sweet, Hawke’s Bay) newspaper. He lived sketches, songs and recitations for the That, should I offer you a flower, during that period in Waipukurau. His company. In her five years with the You would accept my rose, and meet family as a memorial posthumously Dandies she became one of the earliest Me in the gleaming twilight hour. published his writings in 1984 after he female stage producers in Australia...... 3 Summer 2015 A little bird has told me, love, collections. Nevertheless, I showed a That, should I offer you my heart, Tribute to copy of the poem to Les. It went: As steadfast as the heavens above, Les Cleveland We should be one, no more to part. Lament! Lament! Love of my soul, I love you, WAR’S DARK LAUGHTER: For I hear the laughter, God grant the little bird speaks true. A TRIBUTE TO LES CLEVELAND by Mark Pirie the shell-shocked laughter of the blood soaked cabaret. LONELINESS I would like to make a mention of the passing of Les Cleveland (1921-2014), The following year, Les published the Alone! What meaning in that word a tireless worker for poetry in the field overseas study, Dark Laughter: War in To those who understand it right! of war verse. A nice and revealing piece Song and Popular Culture. The bitter longing for a friend – on Les by Michael Jackson featured Years later, I rewrote that poem in 2003 For sympathy in life’s hard fight. recently in New Zealand Books (Winter, for Bullet Poems, a collection dealing Oh lonely souls upon the earth, 2014). with big topics like war. Who meet with friendship but to part, My own memorable encounter with Les Here’s the poem, which I would like to Where do you hold your silent sway? came as a student in a Modern Poetry reprint in memory of Les Cleveland, a What is true loneliness of heart? lecture in 1993. Les was our speaker on fine scholar and man. It’s interesting war verse, and that was following on that I called it ‘The Great Wars’ because Is he a truly lonely soul – from our study of Maurice Shadbolt’s I felt both wars deserved remembrance. A sailor on the mighty deep, play Chunuk Bair in my first year at When far away from sight of land Victoria University of Wellington. As evening shadows round him creep? I’ve certainly come in to contact with a THE GREAT WARS The rolling waters are his friends, large portion of New Zealand’s war The heavens above with stars aglow. verse since then through the Poetry After reading Tony Beyer’s ‘El Mreir’ All nature bears him company, Archive in Wellington. True loneliness he does not know. We’ve uncovered all sorts of interesting When I grew up, war verse and war war verse by little known poets, of were a thing of the past. Alone at dawn on a hill-top fair, varying quality. The Turnbull and Now it was peacetime in the suburbs, No living soul for miles around, Hocken collections contain a fair everything pleasant and warm; The very stillness breathing prayer, amount of troopship journals containing A lark’s sweet hymn the only sound, war verses. PapersPast is full of war trees grew and flowers blazed, and Is this the meaning of the word? verse up to 1945 from different wars conversation revolved around My own soul sends its answer straight – going back to the 19th century. the latest appliances, new cars, fashion “Alone with God is not alone – Les Cleveland certainly left a lasting clothes, the size of your salary “I hold communion with the Great!” legacy in this field with his publications of soldiers’ verses and songs and work and perks. But reading your poem, I But stand at noon in a busy street on soldier poets like the underrated H W hear you speak of another time, And watch the crowd as they pass along, Gretton. The Iron Hand: New Zealand that other age that cast a black shadow With never a face you know to greet, Soldiers’ Poems From World War II is over our history; ‘The Great Wars’, A stranger among that seething throng; in PANZA. In all those hurrying hundreds there Les’s work and others compelled me to ‘the losses’, those boys who never made You stand alone – as one apart, write on Harold Gretton myself. it home or came ashore but drowned No hand outstretched in friendship’s But to return to that lecture at Vic that or died bleeding in the desert in North cause – Harry Ricketts had organised, I was Africa or face-down on the jungle floor That is true loneliness of heart. sitting in the lecture row listening to Les’s marvellous talk. Feeling sadness deep in the Pacific. And often I think (from Pierrot, and other poems for at the war at the deaths of so many, I that their fate could’ve been my own, recitation) composed a poem ‘Lines on War sitting here as a young man with your Verse’, not a very good poem I’d say. It poem in my hand. And I thought was archived in Trespassing in Dionysia along with other early poems I felt best of a lecture I once sat through on War to leave out of commercial Verse at Victoria, just a kid of 20, and hearing the shouts, the brave jokes, the muffled screams, the charges

4 ...... Poetry Archive I reached for my pen that day and, as a 96), Jessie MacKay (1864-1938), David shouldn’t be excluded on quality means of escape, McKee Wright (1867-1928), Hubert grounds. composed a meagre verse, simply Church (1857-1932), and D H Rogers And let me conclude by saying again calling it ‘the blood soaked cabaret’. (1865-1933), included in An Anthology how much I admire the hard work Mark of New Zealand Verse (1956) selected by Pirie has put into researching and Peace be with you, Les. Robert Chapman and Jonathan Bennett. preparing Pope’s selected poems for However, none of Pope’s poems, in my publication. Bibliography opinion, can stand alongside any of the poems by his numerous English Bill Sutton is a Hawke’s Bay poet, who Cleveland, L. Dark Laughter: War in Song contemporaries included in The Oxford has been a scientist and politician in his and Popular Culture (Westport, Conn.: Book of Twentieth Century English Verse working life. His first collection Praeger, 1994.). (1973), chosen by Philip Larkin, which Jabberwocky was published by Steele - The Iron Hand: New Zealand Soldiers’ Poems From World War II (Wellington, was for many years my standard poetry Roberts this year. Wai-te-ata Press, 1979). read. That of course doesn’t explain why Pirie, Mark. Bullet Poems (Paekakariki: Earl Chapman and Bennett ignored Pope. of Seacliff Art Workshop, 2004). ’s anthologies are in my opinion a special case, not only because Mark Pirie, author of this article, is a his own poetry is so very good, but New Zealand poet, editor, publisher and because, at least in his Penguin Book of archivist for PANZA. New Zealand Verse, he stated very clearly his criteria for including several earlier poets he did not himself admire, Further comment on and I can’t personally see how Pope’s poetry could have satisfied Curnow’s Robert J Pope criteria. That doesn’t of course mean that Curnow wouldn’t have appreciated some of them, ROBERT J POPE’S PLACE IN especially the humorous ones. Pirie quite NEW ZEALAND POETRY rightly has mentioned the Whim Wham by Bill Sutton poems, which my own parents used to read with great appreciation when I was Recently I started reading and thinking a boy. Some of Pope’s humorous efforts about poetry again, after a lengthy break, do stand comparison with the Whim King Willow: Selected Poems and as part of that have re-read King Wham poems. The only time I ever met by Robert J Pope edited by Mark Pirie Willow: Selected Poems by Robert J Allen, in The Beehive, I was (HeadworX, 2012) Pope edited by Mark Pirie and also immediately struck by his sense of several anthologies that include work by humour, something I hadn’t anticipated. several of Pope’s contemporaries. Why didn’t Pope get into other earlier Postscript by Niel Wright: I wanted to better understand my own New Zealand poetry anthologies, 1906- very luke-warm response to Pope’s 1930? Pirie has pointed to unfortunate A NOTE ON ROBERT J POPE poetry, which I felt was not entirely to do timing [Pope belonged to an earlier by Niel Wright with his writing period (1902-1944) and generation of the 1880s and had mainly a political views. regional readership via newspapers under The New Zealand poet Robert J Pope Let me first say there are several of the initials ‘R.J.P.’], but it’s difficult to was born in 1865 the same year as W B Pope’s poems I do like, e.g. ‘Australia determine. Yeats. So how does he stack up against and New Zealand’, ‘The Trial’, ‘Manners Even so, can Pope simply remain Yeats? on the Trams’, ‘The Washer Lady’s ignored? I don’t think so. Yeats died in January1939 so did not Wail’ and ‘Day in Peace is Dying’ (as a Where Pope should still be included is, see World War II. Pope lived to 1949, song). firstly, in New Zealand anthologies of and wrote poems in 1939 that actually And there are several other Pope poems I sporting poetry – like A Tingling Catch reflect and helped to define the attitudes somewhat like, including ‘The Derelict’, and Touchlines. And he has been so the New Zealand public took to WWII. ‘Wanted, a Leader’, ‘A Nazi Prayer’, included, by both Pirie and Ron Palenski. I was there as a child and picked them ‘Shingled’, ‘Ode to the Cost of Living’, Secondly, in any comprehensive up at the time. Bill Sutton also responds ‘The All Blacks’ and ‘The “Star” ’. anthology of New Zealand light and to such poems of Pope. The best of Pope seems to me to be fully humorous verse. This would only, I fear, Yeats’s earliest poems appeared in print as good as poems by Henry Jacobs bring Pope to the attention of those with in 1885, and there are readers who rate (1824-1901), William Stenhouse (1841- an historical interest, because Pope’s Yeats’s work at its best down to 1911. 1923), Frederick Napier Broome (1842- sense of humour may seem dated. But he

...... 5 Summer 2015 Pope’s surviving notebooks give poems Alley”, continuing to act and writing We both were young, we both were he wrote from 1902. But Mark Pirie plays, poetry, and a host of popular spruce, notes that Pope’s home burnt down in songs, before succumbing to alcohol We both were sort of witty; 1911, and manuscripts and records of and tuberculosis the day after his 40th And though we look’d so rough at work, poems prior to that date may have birthday. We often turned out pretty. perished. So I would not be surprised if And soon – in time – we came to know fugitive poems of Pope’s do turn up An account of Harry’s career, and those The girl that slightly bowed; from 1885 on. of his two actress wives, Marion But where the sky had been so bright After 1911Yeats’s poetry developed Melrose and Irene Leslie, and many For us was now a cloud. towards Modernism, with C K Stead other stage people whose paths he increasingly critical of such work of crossed, is given in When Harry Met True; Woman’s love’s as tender as Yeats in Pound, Yeats, Eliot and the Marion, by Rowan Gibbs (Wellington: The ivy round the oak, sir; Modernist Movement. So Mark Pirie’s Smith’s Bookshop Ltd, 2014; ISBN But man’s love’s fierce, like lions, and – selection of Robert J Pope’s poems 9780987668424; $40; email: Well, lions seldom joke, sir. King Willow gives us the opportunity to [email protected]). And where we’d both been spruce and see how an exact contemporary of Yeats Rowan didn’t include his songs and nice evolved as a poet in the Modernist era poems in the book but he has sent them We now looked rough and hulky; since 1911. The comparison may well to us for inclusion here. And where we’d been all smiles and be to Pope’s advantage. To get the jokes measure of Yeats in the 21st century see We now were naught but sulky. the selection by Michael Hulse and TRUE FRATERNITY Simon Rae in The 20th Century in She fancied him: I fancied her, Poetry. Do I know what’s Fraternity? And felt at him so vicious You’d better ask me rather That love and hate both shared my breast If I know I had a mother? With passion so capricious. New publication: When If I think I had a father? One day, when up the ladder high, If I e’er believe the world has bad Just as we near’d the top, sir, Harry Met Marion by As well as better leaven? I push’d him – as by accident – Rowan Gibbs If I hope to die a happy death? And heard my rival drop, sir. Or long to live in Heaven? I hurried down as quick as light; This year researcher Rowan Gibbs D’ye see this chap along with me? Remorse already fill’d me: published a very interesting book about We both had different mothers; And when I saw the horrid sight the forgotten figure Harry W Emmet. But there ain’t no parents in the world It very nearly kill’d me. Rowan sent us a brief biography of That ever bore such brothers. I curs’d all those who near me came, Emmet for Poetry Notes: He’s handsome? Yes, a lovely face. I curs’d myself that miss’d him, He’s lame? Too well I know it: Then took him up and carried him, Harry Emmet (born Henry William That sorrow knit our hands – our hearts – And, as I carried, kiss’d him. Denby in London in 1858) had a If you listen, sir, I’ll show it. successful stage career in New I nurs’d him nights; I nurs’d him days; Zealand, Australia and America We both were only workingmen I pray’d to God to save him; between 1876 and his early death in Not far, sir, from this quarter. And begg’d instead that I might get New York in 1896. He arrived in Bob used to carry up the bricks, The fearful blow I gave him. Lyttelton aged 18 in August 1876 and I carted up the mortar. At last – at last we pull’d him through, first went on stage in November that Together oft we’d smoke a pipe He’d cross’d the fearful ripple, year, touring round New Zealand and And things went like a bell, sir, But though his heart beat just as true, then Australia. He was known for his Till Bob – he lov’d a girl with whom His body was a cripple. versatility – actor, comedian, singer, I fell in love as well, sir. stage manager, journalist, playwright, One night, as by the fire we sat, librettist, songwriter and poet. In ’Twas once at dinner-time, we sat A mate came in and told us Dunedin in 1876 he took part in the Upon a brick-pile, eating, That she for whom love rous’d our hate first public performance of ‘God When a pretty girl came tripping by Was false, and had but sold us; Defend New Zealand’ and in 1885 And gave me a sort of greeting. Without a thought for crippl’d Bob wrote the libretto for ‘Angelica’, Bob – he flush’d right up to the eyes, Or poor, remorseful Ned, sir, advertised as the first New Zealand I sort of palpitated; With some more wealthy gilded youth opera. He travelled to California via I look’d at him, he look’d at me, That very night she’d fled, sir. Hawaii in 1886, then moved to New And we knew we both were fated. York where he lived in “Tin Pan

6 ...... Poetry Archive I look’d at Bob; Bob look’d at me Chorus: Still angels smiling, We hurried her in, and in whispers And all our eyes were leaking; Hover round us gaily; She told us her story at last – I grasp’d his hand, and he grasp’d mine, Old age beguiling, ’Twas the old tale of love and desertion, And we shook them without speaking: Making us live on gaily. Through which so many angels have And now, when joy or trouble comes passed. We both together mix it; from: Angelica: Opera Comique in She knew she’d done wrong, but we And if that ain’t Fraternity Three Acts (“Libretto of the couldn’t It’s near as I can fix it. Opera”). [Christchurch]: Printed at the Reproach her as dying she lay; Caxton, 1885 (Alexander Turnbull But we just held her hands and each San Francisco, March 26, 1887 Library collection). other’s, And listen’d to all she’d to say. (Published San Francisco Wasp, PARTNERS IN POVERTY 26 March 1887, page 5) She gave us a package, and told us How do we come to be partners, ’Twas marriage lines. Asked us to find When we ain’t got a cent in the world? The boy babe from her they had stolen, Extracts from Harry’s libretto for Well, it isn’t the gaudiest colors When wicked love ceased to be blind – Angelica: That cut the best figure unfurled: And a wondrous strength seemed to It isn’t the loftiest mountain come o’er us Opening lines That brings the most good to the creek; As we solemnly knelt by her side, Villagers’ Chorus And the tie that’s the truest and strongest And in her cause swore to be partners – Is oft ’twixt the humble and meek. Faint, she smiled back her thanks, and Fresh as larks are we, – then died. All the live-long day; There ain’t no offense meant to you, sir, Hoping none will see us Because you’re arrayed in fine clothes. She was buried by some of the people; At this pleasant play. It was honor that kept us such And then we marched out on our vow: Nature fresh and fair, partners – Old paupers, we tramped the world Smiling soft and low, That’s riches that very few knows. over, Drives away all care We mates had a poor ruined cabin And we’ve just kept on tramping till As on we gaily go. Beside an old broken-down claim; now. As for eating – we’d almost forgot to – Want to look at the package? Well, Someone has told her And drinking was only in name. here, sir; That we have sold her, What’s that you say ? She was your – Black we are painted. Ah me. But sometimes came a bright girlish what? His love she’s hating, creature, Your mother! Thank God; then, we’ve Reasons not stating, And brought enough food to exist; found you; Once he was sainted. Ah me. We’d just learnt to love her like fathers, We knew that the truth must be got. Oh, go away, and never come again. When we heard she’d been suddenly No longer stay; your presence brings miss’d. Keep on shaking hands? Yes! Oh no, but pain. She’d fled from her home in the camp, sir, [ ... ] sir, ’Tain’t money as pays for our will; Hang it! dash it!! blow it!!! With a stranger, both handsome and ’Twas gratitude forced us to find you, As if I ought not to know it. rich – And we’re partners in poverty still. This girl to marry for our fun, Then we soon got so weak and so weary Remember that she was an angel! And swears she hates us all—by gum. That we scarcely knew t’other from Good-bye, sir, we’ve only one claim – Whatever has the rascal done? which. That there’s some as does goodness by Like me, he thought he’d chance it. stealth, sir, Oh hang it! dash it!! blow it!!! It’s a hard thing to sit still with hunger, And blushes to find it out fame. And know you must meet him each Finale day. San Francisco, March 19, 1887. Chorus: Treasuries of Fairies We were too old to look after work, sir, Never in rhyming story Also crippled to wander away. (Published San Francisco Wasp, Show half the care But one night we heard “Thud!” at the 19 March 1887, page 5) Is taken with age’s glory. cabin, Quintette: Time rolls on, And we opened the door, and look’d And curls are gone; round; Eyes are dim, There she was, sir, all damp and And faces wan. bedraggl’d – Our darling – full length on the ground...... 7 Summer 2015 TRUE LOVE THE WHOLE YEAR New publication by About the Author ROUND: Words by Harry W. Emmet; Music by Chas. B. Ward. PANZA member: Mark Pirie is an internationally published New Zealand poet, editor, A maiden her fate was bemoaning, Poems for my Father by writer and publisher. In 2010, he edited ’Neath the shade of the wide-spreading Mark Pirie the successful anthology of NZ cricket yews, poetry A Tingling Catch (foreword by And half to herself she was owning Don Neely) and currently writes its She knew not which lover to choose. Title: Poems for my Father offshoot blog Tingling Catch. More on “Oh! tell me,” she cried in her anguish, Author: Mark Pirie Mark Pirie at his website: “Is affection a smile or a sigh? ISBN 978-0-473-29038-2 www.markpirie.com Can I find love that never will languish?” Price: $15.00 The leaves whispered down this reply: Extent: 16 pages Format: 148mmx210mm Chorus Publication: July 2014 Donate to PANZA Love in the springtime is young, Publisher: The Night Press (a division through PayPal Love in the summer is bold; of HeadworX) Love in the autumn with mem’ries is hung, About the Book You can now become a friend of Love in the winter is cold; PANZA or donate cash to help us But whether in sunshine or storm, Poems for my Father is a collection of continue our work by going to Love everywhere may be found, Mark Pirie’s poems for, about, and http://pukapukabooks.blogspot.com and And love has no reason, whatever the including his father. accessing the donate button – any season, The poems form a sequence written donation will be acknowledged. But true love’s the whole year round. between 1993 and 2008 and cover a range of subjects from childhood travels A little bird paused there for shelter, to family portraits and reunions. And a shower was arising so bad, Leo the MGM lion, American President Recently received The raindrops came down with a pelter, George Washington, and the Great donations And poor little birdie looked sad. Diviner of the Pyramid in Uxmal, But when the storm ceased, once more Mexico form unlikely starting points for cheerful, Mark Pirie’s experiences. His father is Mark Young – 8 titles. The sweet bird spread his bright wings ever in the picture. again, Janet Charman – At the White Coast by And to that little maiden, still tearful, Contents: Janet Charman. He chirruped this selfsame refrain:– Poem to my Father Slippers Jack Ross – A clearer view of the Chorus My Father’s Library Hinterland by Jack Ross. Love in the springtime is young, Mt Vernon’s Secret Love in the summer is bold; The Rescue Richard Berengarten, England – Manual Love in the autumn with mem’ries is Incident by Richard Berengarten. hung, From San Francisco Sonnets Love in the winter is cold; The park New Zealand Poetry Society – Take But whether in sunshine or storm, Getting the Job Done Back Our Sky annual anthology for Love everywhere may be found, Family Portrait 2014. And love has no reason, whatever the Ice Cream, Oriental Bay season, My Father Mark Pirie – How to be Dead in a Year But true love’s the whole year round. Riverton Beach Poem of Snakes by Chris Tse. Leaving Dunedin, with my Father (1999) PANZA kindly thanks these donators to the archive. Errata: Issue 19 The Night Press is a division/imprint of HeadworX Publishers and publishes the Noeline Gannaway’s poem ‘To a poetry journal broadsheet and Friend’ was first published in the NZ occasional chapbooks/mini books. Listener, 1968, not “c1971” as she first recorded in Poetry Notes, Spring 2014.

8 ...... Poetry Archive Dr Michael O’Leary - Archivist About the Poetry (04) 905 7978 Archive email: [email protected]

Visits welcome by appointment Poetry Archive of New Zealand Aotearoa (PANZA) Current PANZA Members: Mark Pirie (HeadworX), Roger Steele PANZA contains (Steele Roberts Ltd), Michael O’Leary (Earl of Seacliff Art Workshop) and Niel A unique Archive of NZ published Wright (Original Books). poetry, with around five thousand titles Current Friends of PANZA: Paul from the 19th century to the present day. Thompson, Gerrard O’Leary, Vaughan The Archive also contains photos and Rapatahana and the New Zealand Poetry paintings of NZ poets, publisher’s Society. catalogues, poetry ephemera, posters, reproductions of book covers and other PANZA is a registered charitable trust memorabilia related to NZ poetry and poetry performance.

Wanted NZ poetry books (old & new) Other NZ poetry items i.e. critical books on NZ poetry, anthologies of NZ poetry, poetry periodicals and broadsheets, poetry event programmes, posters and/or prints of NZ poets or their poetry books. DONT THROW OUT OLD NZ POETRY! SEND IT TO PANZA

PANZA will offer: • Copies of NZ poetry books for private research and reading purposes. • Historical information for poets, writers, journalists, academics, researchers and independent scholars of NZ poetry. • Photocopying for private research purposes. • Books on NZ poetry and literary history, and CD-ROMs of NZ poetry and literature. • CDs of NZ poets reading their work. You can assist the preservation of NZ poetry by becoming one of the Friends of the Poetry Archive of New Zealand Aotearoa (PANZA ). If you’d like to become a friend or business sponsor of PANZA, please contact us.

Contact Details Poetry Archive of NZ Aotearoa (PANZA) 1 Woburn Road, Northland, Wellington Dr Niel Wright - Archivist (04) 475 8042

...... 9