Mountain, I sing that my place to stand is
defined by your shadow and your rising
is a natural boundary to my world.
You stand tall over the land of my life
where Te Awakairangi flows. I ride
State Highway 2, drive the summit over
to other world Wairarapa where you
sit familiar, siding another face.
Your wind-smothered road, its winding trek through
kahikatea, beech, gorse and totara,
the deep drop to unseen resting places
draws my respect. I drive through the draped clouds
and sing with the blackbirds. In my mihi
I say Ko Remutaka te maunga.
Sandi Sartorelli
