Tōku whare Only from the darkness can light be seen. From the many tentacles of my chiefly ancestors is my genealogy. From this mortal coil come I, standing here, breathing, speaking. I breathe the essence of life. From the depths of my mind comes thought From the hidden confines of my heart comes want, need, aspirations. Come closer to the porch of the house, welcome! The ‘fingers’ hold the rau pōhiri - welcome to the manu rangatira from the tides that crash along the shore. Welcome to the porch of my house, the posts are tōtara, plastic and electrical. The reasons are: If the tōtara is split, it is food for the fire - united we stand, divided we fall. Stay together e hoa mā! Plastic is the tohu of my world, it stands to represent the changing of the time. Electricity is how we reach enlightenment and connectivity - those of you who are attached to social media, this is your pou! In my veins flow the blood of my ancestors, which I refuse to let drip onto the earth - never to die a ngaki! From my own hands are the material things that keep me alive. Ko Theles ahau. By retreating to the past to sieve and sift through the remnants of that era, and to draw them towards this modern world, that enables me to stand in good stead on the face of the earth! I will build my own empire! I will decide my own fate! I will carve my own path! I will set my own fire! Ka piki au i tōku maunga! 18
Poetry New Zealand Yearbook student poetry competition 2020
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