manukuru (lost bird)...

this is me missing my family, my culture, in new zealand...some words are in maori and i've translated them for the reader...manukuru is my maori name

tribe less

o’ great ocean

o’ great sea

you separate me

from my iwi (tribe)

my warriors heart

beats empty

i cannot pull my ancestors to me

haka (war dance) without power

waita (prayer) without mana(power)

i am a lonely spirit

calling for my people

across the great ocean

the turbulent sea

they hear me not

when i die

it will be without honour

no tongi (funeral) for me

no hui (celebration) to remember

and here

this land without tikis(totems)

without my blood toas(warriors)

my spirit will be restless

till it’s brought home…

Reviews

[NoneOfYourBusiness akaK..]

you've no idea how deep this digs into my heart which will always belong to the wild places at Dehera~ the culture stays in us like an arrowhead~ digging deep~ it is a bittersweet wound~now I pine for myths at the feet of old crones~and crazy wolves that could tear your throat out but refrain for wild vennison from little girl hands~stallions with a thousand and one tales~ the wild solstice and equinox celebrations~ the madness~ the wine~ the traditions that make us who we are~
the lack of this is one of the things that propels humanity toward self destructive behaviors~ so many are uprooted or never given root~and they are left searching and filling the void with synthetic rituals . . . . .

[Ashesh]

A nostalgia of;
the History,
the Culture,
the Nature and
A longing for the roots.

[Ed Hart]

good, a warrior tradition and an inbred understanding of totem...I stayed six week on the south island in an old cabin... spent many days by the ocean and the wild cliffs and watched the play of lights in an unfamiliar night sky...life, oh life, oh life times six

[Jonathan De Elvira]

you must have done some serious research with this one...:P
n wht makes this genius is the use of languages n combines it in sentence n make it one brilliant sentences :O
I was not mistaken when I look high at u...:P...
good work...

[the in between]

:( very sad poem. saddest one i've read from you. dont know what else to say but hope you go back home someday... powerful poem.

[Ru Banerjee]

This is a very touching and inspirational piece of work where an intense sense of loss, the pangs of being uprooted are portrayed so beautifully. You heart is pining and bleeding from being uprooted from your ancestors, your heritage and the quintessential spirit of your motherland. The imagery of the turbulent sea, the vividness of describing your spiritual emptiness in an unknown, forsaken land away from your roots is indeed heart touching and reflective. Very nice!

[Sports Girl]

This is really good. I liked it a lot. Great job.