A STOP ON THE JOURNEY
HAVEN’T much to say, we came up slowly, And stopped at a village, asking the eyes of the people Till the things unsaid and the silences drove us away. We called at the petro] station, and hung our faith On a football match and a change to dirty weather. A child followed us and wept; the factory belched And warmly breathed its smutty benediction. The main street slept, or lent a tattered ear To family-talk and fat admonishment; The sweet shops saw us not, no time for eyes, No time for fright or tear, presentiment, And summer almost here!-no time for yes or no, For slim discussion and paltry argument. The tearooms beckoned us bleakly in While the church and the hotel stuttered sin And the trees and the fields and the cattle laughed at us, I do not know, perhaps we came too slowly, e Perhaps we neglected the right things, or debated a moment On winter or passion-some senile argument: I do not know, but the tearooms muttered "Stranger." And the sweet shops turned and laughed as we drove away.
David
Elworthy
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19541119.2.29
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 31, Issue 800, 19 November 1954, Page 14
Word count
Tapeke kupu
189A STOP ON THE JOURNEY New Zealand Listener, Volume 31, Issue 800, 19 November 1954, Page 14
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