Taniwha Evening 2012
1
In front of the soft green blobs that discolour my sight because I peeked at the
sun
there is the mauve pyramid of the top of a mountain that is bent around the earth
It is a coloured nipple of life, swathed in silver with a sea of gossamer ripples
2
A man paddles his long boat standing in the still silver body
The horizon sucks apricot over its previous purple
The temperature plummets and the grass land rolls
with the smoke from my chimney
3
Two soft dogs and a strong woman pass.
The tide powerful heart beats of water given, stones pulling back…
water given, stones pulling back…
of water given, stones pulling back…
4
The Taranaki triangle a fading bruise of now darker mauve
With binoculars I can see he has chips round the nipple
5
At 5.30pm I sit perched on a high stool in my pajamas
I sit in the lay line of the Taniwha
and I can see the tip of her tongue, or ear, or tooth
or the tip of a spine of
his serpentine form
6
One day I shall follow this lay line
that lays hold of me so firmly
This Taranaki Taniwha
that woke me in the night at my hut two years ago
and called me/us here
One day I shall follow its pulse
and toss crystals along the spine of the old darling
I’ll follow her to Te Awaiti
where his tail koru's past
the Stony Bay and Awhea waters
curling out into the sea
7
Follow him
and hope she wriggles joyfully
and does not bite
In front of the soft green blobs that discolour my sight because I peeked at the
sun
there is the mauve pyramid of the top of a mountain that is bent around the earth
It is a coloured nipple of life, swathed in silver with a sea of gossamer ripples
2
A man paddles his long boat standing in the still silver body
The horizon sucks apricot over its previous purple
The temperature plummets and the grass land rolls
with the smoke from my chimney
3
Two soft dogs and a strong woman pass.
The tide powerful heart beats of water given, stones pulling back…
water given, stones pulling back…
of water given, stones pulling back…
4
The Taranaki triangle a fading bruise of now darker mauve
With binoculars I can see he has chips round the nipple
5
At 5.30pm I sit perched on a high stool in my pajamas
I sit in the lay line of the Taniwha
and I can see the tip of her tongue, or ear, or tooth
or the tip of a spine of
his serpentine form
6
One day I shall follow this lay line
that lays hold of me so firmly
This Taranaki Taniwha
that woke me in the night at my hut two years ago
and called me/us here
One day I shall follow its pulse
and toss crystals along the spine of the old darling
I’ll follow her to Te Awaiti
where his tail koru's past
the Stony Bay and Awhea waters
curling out into the sea
7
Follow him
and hope she wriggles joyfully
and does not bite