Best poem ever about Karori
In our road the husbands do it themselves:
their houses that, not their wives;
always stripping down walls, erecting shelves;
when they've laid them, they'll gravel their drives.
Their wives all know the latest stitch;
they're really untold nice;
they'll buy into Kelburn when they get rich
and their children hardly ever have lice.
Their children called Alex, Sophie, Yvonne,
all know quite the right thing to say;
when the time comes, they'll be bound to get on;
they've just been brought up in that way.
Karori, Karori; there's nowhere like Karori:
everyone has tons of fun and asks you 'What's the story?'
Harry Ricketts' classic 1989 poem has been revived as ReadingRoom devotes all week to coverage of the totemic Wellington suburb of Karori, occasioned by the newly published essay collection Returning to My Father's Kitchen by Monica S Macansantos (Northwestern University Press, $US22). The book includes a stand-out essay about the author's unhappy experience in Karori. Monday: an excerpt from the essay. Tuesday: Leah McFall writes in lyrical praise of Karori. Tomorrow: Steve Braunias reviews the book, and Karori itself. Returning to My Father's Kitchen is available in selected bookstores such as Unity in Wellington or as print or ebook version directly from the publisher.
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Best poem ever about Karori
Karori In our road the husbands do it themselves: their houses that, not their wives; always stripping down walls, erecting shelves; when they've laid them, they'll gravel their drives. Their wives all know the latest stitch; they're really untold nice; they'll buy into Kelburn when they get rich and their children hardly ever have lice. Their children called Alex, Sophie, Yvonne, all know quite the right thing to say; when the time comes, they'll be bound to get on; they've just been brought up in that way. Karori, Karori; there's nowhere like Karori: everyone has tons of fun and asks you 'What's the story?' Harry Ricketts' classic 1989 poem has been revived as ReadingRoom devotes all week to coverage of the totemic Wellington suburb of Karori, occasioned by the newly published essay collection Returning to My Father's Kitchen by Monica S Macansantos (Northwestern University Press, $US22). The book includes a stand-out essay about the author's unhappy experience in Karori. Monday: an excerpt from the essay. Tuesday: Leah McFall writes in lyrical praise of Karori. Tomorrow: Steve Braunias reviews the book, and Karori itself. Returning to My Father's Kitchen is available in selected bookstores such as Unity in Wellington or as print or ebook version directly from the publisher.
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