Sun and you,
high on hills.
Close your eyes,
for a time.

Your eyelids now golden and trembling;
may you sense the sacred sway.
The wind dances with fisted spears,
feet pound, hands slap
to ancestor's waiata.

Pūkana and see,
the long white clouds are the people rising.
Whētero -
No longer silenced.

<♡> <☆> <♤> <◇> <♧> <☆> <♡>


Notes.

Aotearoa (Māori): is the current Māori name for New Zealand. Earlier Māori names for New Zealand included Nu Tirani, which was used in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, along with Nu Tirene, used in the He Whakaputanga Declaration of Independence. Aotearoa was originally used by the Māori people in reference to only the North Island[2] but, since the late 19th century, the word has come to refer to the whole archipelago. Several meanings have been proposed for the name; the most popular translation usually given is "long white cloud",[3] or variations thereof. This refers to the cloud formations which helped early Polynesian navigators find the country.

Waiata means song in Maori.

Essential to the art of haka are pukana (dilating of the eyes), whetero (protruding of the tongue performed by men only), and potete (the closing of the eyes at different points in the dance, performed by the women only).

For women, pūkana involves opening the eyes wide and jutting out their tattooed chin. For men, it means widening the eyes and stretching out their tongue or baring their teeth. Though these expressions may be intimidating, they are not necessarily a sign of aggression, but may simply show strong and deep-felt emotions.


.

Nice poem .

Inspired by a kiwi artist's pic. Thank you Jewels xxx

Nice
Assembling of resemblings
Took to the
Top of the hill
Letting know
Traditions of NZ.

Thanks Peppa. I would like to know your history too.

The deference that you express for the indigenous people of New Zealand, and their rituals and connection to the natural world, comes through vividly in this poem, Ladywind.

Thanks Tex