Kia ora koutou, been thinking a bit about whakapapa and how easy it is to be pleased about the good ones on it but how often I forget that whakapapa is all embracing, composed of all of them not just those I liked or admired. So I wrote this poem to remind myself that however much I disliked some of them or resented their actions in the past, they, like the ones who were true and brave and loving and who stood up when needed, all – good, bad or in between – are part of my whakapapa.
Whakapapa
I’m here
Just a soft breath
sneaking in – no warning
no email, no text, no Facetime call
a whisper
a line from a song
you’ve never heard
yet every word
is known
Whakarongo mai
and you stop still
Whakarongo mai
the bones are speaking
of a time
long gone
Whakarongo mai
here in this room
is a presence
a voice
you can ignore me
scorn me
turn your back on me
walk away
feed me to the fishes
I’m still here
still here
still here
Renée 2020
