for Nana
I would have liked to have known you then
before you served in the war
when your parents were alive
before you married
divorced
had kids
watched one die.
I would have liked to have seen you
smile like this
more often
and to hear you laugh.
Even though I can’t have any of this
or to ask about that time
or anything,
having found this picture
helps.
About Tiggy Johnson
Tiggy Johnson began telling tales as a youngster when she told her mum her brother had hit her. With maturity, she developed skills to make stuff up that doesn’t necessarily come true. Her science degree and past life as an insurance loss adjuster did little to prepare her for her work as a stay-at-home mother, writer, family historian, past editor of literary magazine Page Seventeen and most recently, small-business woman, one of three owners of Charm Packed. Her short story collection ‘Svetlana or Otherwise’ was released in 2008 and her poetry collection ‘First taste’ in 2010. Tiggy lives south of Brisbane with her husband, Bryden, and their children, Hamish, Claudia and Dylan.
Website:http://www.tiggyjohnson.comFurther reading:
fleeting & beautiful Tiggy,
Gnunn man of few words! the poem reminds me of
the work by the late Cornelis Vleeskens i’ve just been setting
for a new chapbook by him…very similar in style
though Cornelis’ poems are from a manuscript from 1974!
though the time difference the above poem is ok
pete
Thanks Graham.
Your poem is beautifully sad, Tiggy. But lovely.
pared down and clear
a difficult task
You’ve captured so much, Tiggy, especially my heart with this poem!
Thanks Pete, Kat and Melissa.
Pete, you make me want to hunt down some Vleeskens
nice one Tiggy
Loving the family history snapshots Tiggy. This is going to be a great collection.
Congratulations on the poem Tiggy and a huge thank you for your continued encouragement and support.
Tiggy later in the year i will have all Cornelis’ paste-ups for his
various chapbooks under a deal with his family and estate
i will be allowed to publish to order. Cornelis’ daughter Katherine and
i will at that time set up a website for this project it will include new
copies of the divertamentii. but the book i was likening to your writing
is just out from Earthdance/Donnithorne St Press and is available
to order via emailing me for details at: spenvis@hotmail.com
it is a suite of poems from 1974 and as i said the language is pared down
to almost only the essential, not the flamboyant overload of information
of his last books. Trivial Pursuits is recently out from PressPress
an elegant A6 chapbook and is essential reading for the late style
of this Artist/poet
pete spence
Tiggy maybe Cornelis’ Family History would be a interesting model to look at
i think we have a box full them at present there were two versions of this book
the early version published by my Post Neo too rare for its own good probably
only 50 copies early 1990′s but the second version published by Cornelis’ Earthdance is a fine looking perfect bound book again contacting me on spenvis@hotmail.com
for info on how to purchase
Thanks John, Prawns and Trudles, glad you enjoyed the poem, and ditto on that sentiment Trudles.
Pete, I will definitely drop you an email. Thanks so much for all the info.