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Big Time

Ania Walwicz

Summer 1979

Wanted some good moments. Some hot times, Some sharp things that I couldn’t, forget. Hotter than life to feel like that. Something great. And proud. More or less like that. No small time low down. No just so and so. I was after bull’s eye. And perfect. So it couldn’t be more taut. That it was in the right spot. Want to be a star. Not the fourth girl in the back line of the chorus. But centre forward. Had enough playing half-back. Don’t, want to be half-back anymore. So I wanted to be right there in the front. And not necessarily strong. But feeling a lot more than most. Be the doer or have it done t0. Didn’t matter. I can play any role.

As long as there is this one big moment for me there. As long as there is. I was looking for anything and everything to make me more than I was. And I was only small. And not much. Hardly anything. So I had no choice but to go looking for some good times. And something stronger than lemonade. And brighter than cream. And louder than a whisper. And warmer than luke warm. And bigger than my room that was too small. And better. I knew I could get better. For sure. You just know these things. Deep down. There was this pearl for the diver. Gold for the finder. Silver for the girls. Sparklets for the mister. Red for the bull. Big time moments for me. Fireworks for this girl. That lived at night. Ate chocolate.

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The next edition of Meanjin will be available from December 2026. Information on the purchase of single editions – in print or ePub formats – will be available closer to time.

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  • In Print
  • Online Only
    • Latest Pieces
    • Reading Trails
    • What I’m Reading
  • Read
    • The Meanjin Papers
    • Poetry
    • Essays
    • Fiction
    • Memoir
    • The Meanjin Interviews
    • Experiments
    • State of the Nation
    • The Year In…
  • Books
    • Reviews
    • Australia in Three Books
    • What I’m Reading
  • Writers
    • Interviews
  • Buy
    • Subscribe
    • Where to buy
  • News
    • Announcements
    • Events
  • About
    • About Meanjin
    • First Peoples First
    • People
    • Editorial Advisory Panel
    • Copyright and Payment
    • Partners
    • Get Involved
    • Contact
    • Privacy
  • Search