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!
Poem © Mark Pirie, 2026