WHY WAS I BORN?
ce WH Y was I born?" Six steps from the wings to the centre, The New Thought Lecturer stops, Raising a hand to open the show with the question, (To the entrance, the flower-set stage, The rose-dim lights, the faint suggestion of incense, The flowing mystical gown, and the coiffure expensively simple, A deal ot old thought had been given). Two steps down to the footlights, another pause, And the question again from under the ‘searching eyes "Why was I born?" The raised hand is commanding, And the wide-eyed audience stiffens to interest. Another two steps and she’s ready again, She has them; she’s sure; she’s drawing them into her circle. "Why was I born?" The silence vibrates. And then from the back a voice answers: "Give it up, Emma!" And that is the a: of the show. "WH Y was I born?" sighs the poet. _ "Why was I born?" moans the poet, This odious world of stupidity: This sickening world of the Philistine: Nothing but sorrow and sin and corruption; This world that won't go as I want it! "Why was I born?" so the plaint wanders Through quatrains and odes and free versing, And the little man resting frorn labour, Full of his job and his wile and his children, In the pres: of his problems catches the strain. "Give it up," he replies with a shrug to the whining, And, lighting his pipe, turns to the
racing.
Alan
Mulgon
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19470516.2.36
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 16, Issue 412, 16 May 1947, Page 18
Word count
Tapeke kupu
246WHY WAS I BORN? New Zealand Listener, Volume 16, Issue 412, 16 May 1947, Page 18
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in