Lament: Ihumatao Paa
previously published in Freed (1970) and Big Smoke (AUP, 2000)
Io concealed-moku ano enei ra,
mo te ra ka hekeheke!
The moon is dead: the eyes of rangi
darkened, mo Patrick,
mo Amy, mo Ropata, mo
Shumay, mo Adrian, mo
ahau! To travel beneath
The white hawk, te kahu ma, is best:
Kua mate te Maori! The
past without meaning:
the sinews of Papa tu
A nuku severed: by Pakeha the work
is done; ma Pakeha ka
oti te mahi! And the
Door of night-opened; mo koe, mo
ahau; mo te iwi Maori!
For me these days, for
me the setting sun: ae
MO TE RA KA HEKEHEKE! Let it end!