Friday, May 27, 2011

Rain often makes me think of you Hone..



I love Hone's earthy poetry.  In this clip, an older Hone is being introduced to a new CD of his poems turned into songs by some of NZ's best musos. The first sounds are of the music written for his poem Rain.
Many years ago, when I was young and naive, I taught with Hone's wife Jean.  I said to her once how romantic it was to be married to a poet.  She looked me in the eye, then said  - it isn't all it's cracked up to be - or something to that effect - in her soft and lilting Scottish accent.
It didn't change my opinion though.   Her house guests included people like James K Baxter, and once she brought to school a painting given to her as a thank you for hospitality by Ralph Hotere.  It was shiny and black, heavily lacquered, with a perfect, thin red circle.  I can see myself in it I said.  Maybe that's what it means said Jean. 
Sometime later Hone went his way.  I hope Jean kept her Hotere painting.  A Hotere is worth a lot of money these days.

5 comments:

  1. What a great story Joan. I grew up with a father who was/is poet and publisher of poets so there were often lots of poets around the house, including Hone now and then. The domestic lives of poets are just like everyone elses, except anything and everything can be appropriated and interpreted. Sometimes I find a reference to myself in my father's writing and wince; but also appreciate the insight into what I have meant to him.

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  2. What perfect music for that poem! Just incredible. It's funny how things are never the same looking from the outside as they are from the inside!

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  3. This is a poet I did not know. But reading the poem in your previous post, I see I'd like to. Shall have to enlist Mr. Google's aid.

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  4. I love this poem too, and thanks for reminding me of it. I laughed at the story, and know just what she meant. When I was student at university I was around lots of poets, and it was always stimulating, but not always such fun for the partners.

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  5. Thank you for introducing me to Hone. His poetry is amazing! I, too, hope she kept that painting!! We have a friend who's quite well-known here. Behind the scenes, he's a regular joe, even boring at times, not at all what one would think.

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