Mark Pirie


Music Therapy

For Peter Olds, a 2020 letter

It has felt like
music therapy this year.
A shaggy dog, faithful,
waving its tail in the wind
is merely a tree, beside me.

Cargo ships dock now,
not cruise ships,
as if carrying middle class purses
spreading joy to retailers,
workers and producers.

My trusty CD stack 
has grown as I work from home
and read poetry on my breaks.
The music therapy 
must be what it was like
for Orwell “before the war”,
coming up for air.

I watch rugby from
the safety of home
and wonder if I miss
the tribalism of flying
a stadium flag.

At the end of a game
they hongi and forget
each thumping tackle.
It’s like that this year
with art and publishing.

My painting of Thorndon
for Peter is like
a quiet story in a Walden
retreat, and I give thanks
for Springsteen who sends
his Letter to You.


Staycation

Read

Films

Music

Walk

Sales

Like




Watch

Play

Exercise

Shop

Nowhere




Books

DVDs

Sport

Weights

Clearance

Home




Tra-La-La

What we don’t know
won’t hurt us. Art is
none the wiser when the
Maker leaves the room.

We could frame what we
see as Art around us,
and we would miss it
in a blink. Depending on

what you believe. There are
oh so many theories.
The Universe expands, tra-la-la.
Art’s truth is dark matter.

Mark Pirie (b.1974) 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 1998-, and currently edits broadsheet: new new zealand poetry, 2008-. Website: www.markpirie.com.

 
 

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