Prose and cons

Hannah Harte Patreon: HRMNZ | @hannah_harte_

Ifondly remember poetry nights at Mainstreet Café in the late 90s and early 2000s, and though my home is crammed with books filled with gorgeous poems, I’ve lost touch with the local scene and wondered if there is still a place for poetry in this modern, social media-driven era. Fortunately, my 19-year-old son, Noah, is an avid poet, and he kindly allowed me to gain his perspective on the matter.

Me: How did you discover a love for poetry?

Noah: I’ve found that my inner monologue is often hopelessly poetic. I adore Ocean Vuong. His books have always found a way to inspire me and poke at emotions I had hardly given the introspection they deserved.

He reminds me of the importance of poetry and the role it plays in a person’s heart. So the first poem I wrote was in my senior year at primary school, and I’m currently working on a poetry manuscript.

Me: What has been your favourite poetryrelated moment?

Noah: Performing/singing a short poem I wrote called I Leave You My Dream for the Word Festival. I think the way I put it really spoke to people too. It always brings me such a warm shock to see a room go quiet at your words as the clutter dims a little, and you can see that people really understand.

Me: Would you say there is much support for poets in Ōtautahi?

Noah: Yes. There’s the group known as Wednesday Writers, which provides free writing spaces on a weekly basis, and established poets are willing to offer advice and collaborate.

Me: Where are your favourite poetry nights held?

Noah: The Commoners and Space Academy. Both provide an opportunity to read poetry, and are judgement-free. Everyone is very supportive.

Me: Do you think social media has made it harder or easier for poets to share their work?

Noah: I’m glad that social media has allowed more people to access poetry, but, unfortunately, it seems that the kind that slips into mainstream audiences are usually the more thoughtless, short poems that one can digest without too much thought. The great thing about social media is that poets can use it to expand their platform. It just takes some time to navigate the maze.

Me: Do you think poetry has a future in Aotearoa and the world?

Noah: Poetry is always going to be a huge part of people’s lives. There will always be people who are musing and writing up rhymes. Poetry can often be the stepping stone into writing longer fiction or making music – but make no mistake; poetry is no small stone. Poetry is emotive language in its rawest form. You don’t have one thousand pages; you don’t have any music behind you; all you have are your words and your voice. One of the great things about this world is: to make a difference, you just have to use your words.

Hyundai Nexo 2022

OWNED BY MAYOR PHIL MAUGER

AS TOLD TO Liam Stretch

This is Mavis, a Hyundai NEXO 2022. The Hyundai NEXO is the world’s first dedicated hydrogen-powered SUV. Its hydrogen tanks power electric motors, giving the car a massive range of up to around 600km, and the tanks take just about five minutes to fill up. I purchased the NEXO because I really love new technology, like hydrogen, and because it produces zero greenhouse gas and zero emissions. I like to take it anywhere, really. It has cooling and heated seats, as well as a heated steering wheel which makes it so nice to drive.

“I had my daughter when I was a teen. When my daughter was nine months old, my dad said, ‘it’s time you do something for yourself’. A lady was selling her Baby Shop, so I went home to Dad and said, ‘how about this?’ We organised it all; I worked nine till three, I made items and sold second-hand clothes while being able to have my baby at work.

“I really enjoyed it. But as we all do, I thought there must be something better in life, so I sold it, soon realising I had made a mistake and that was actually what I wanted to do.

“It’s always been my dream to have a shop again. I wanted to create a space that’s peaceful for people and that helps the environment. It’s kind of educating people who don’t normally shop second-hand – to make it an easy space for them to transition into shopping secondhand. We wash everything, which is a huge job; all our homewares are second-hand; all our gifts are sustainable. All our knitting wool is 100 per cent wool or cotton; we have no acrylic. It’s a real family store. It’s a store for the community full of all ‘My Favourite Things’.

“I encourage our staff to talk to the elderly as sometimes it is the only friendly conversation they will have all week. In New Zealand, we do not respect our older community enough; I really enjoy talking to them as they have a lot to offer.

“We welcome everybody, and we say, ‘thanks for coming in; enjoy your day’. People say, ‘Oh, you’re so nice.’ And I reply, ‘I’m not nice. I’m normal.’ People have lost that level of niceness, which is a bit sad.

“We have three groups that meet, and they knit for Ukraine for Operation Cover Up. I’ll tell you what, our Friday group, I can hear them laughing right from down the end of the shop. It’s really cool to know that they have made friendships there.

“My father was a minister, and my mother worked in mental health, so we’ve been a family for service. A big thing my father taught us was not to judge. I have dyslexia which affects my ability to read paper text. Despite this, I can still run a business. I think this helps me understand people. Even if you have limitations, you can still achieve big things.” facebook.com/humansofchch

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