The Friday Poem: Māui & Prometheus Have a Meet-Cute, by essa may ranapiri
When Harry Met Sally, the carpool scene. Number one on ScreenRant.com’s ‘Top 10 Rom-Com Meet-Cutes’.
A poem from essa may ranapiri’s new collection Echidna.
Māui & Prometheus Have a Meet-Cute
it’s not that pottery scene from Ghost
or the sweaty handprint on glass in Titanic
it’s nothing like the leaf-pulped perfume of Māhinaarangi
or the slow silent letting go of Tiki and Tūtānekai
it’s not dropping books in the hall and stumbling
in sync to pick them up
it’s not asking someone out at lunch twice to two
different responses
a yes and then
a no
sandwiches weeping inside gladwrap
or dancing silently at the end of things
how shoes scuff across polished floors
and throw up light and shadow
nothing so romantic as dinner or a picnic
pocket lint in uncut gras
it’s a small text in the late hours
Prometheus asking are you attracted to me
and Maui responding
yes
you took long enough to catch on
The Friday Poem is edited by Chris Tse. Submissions are currently closed and will open again very soon.
essa may ranapiri
essa may ranapiri (Ngaati Raukawa, Te Arawa, Ngaati Pukeko, Clan Gunn) is a poet who lives on Ngaati Wairere whenua. Author of ransack (VUP, 2019) and ECHIDNA (THWUP, 2022). Co-editor of Kupu Toi Takataapui | Takataapui Literary Journal with Michelle Rahurahu. They have a great love for language, LAND BACK and hot chips. They will write until they’re dead.
