The Friday Poem: Kae and the Tohorā by essa may ranapiri
Photo: Wikicommons
A new poem by Kirikiriroa poet essa may ranapiri.
Kae and the Tohorā
did u think of the taste of his blubber even as u sat upon
his great mammal form ?
think of unmasking the slip of his great flippers that churn the salt troth of the sea
to reveal the bones of his canine heritage so starkly
think of how
he tried to shift his
weight
under the gravity of his
error
beneath the unkindness of ur blunt blows
the clack of it
dulled by flesh
shot through with glisten
<>
listen as an echo of some
thing u didn’t understand
did u leave ur weapons in the grit of the beach
to take to him with ur teeth ? all bared to the sun
all white after the meat has found its way into ur
stomach
as tapu as a tomb
after all the blood has dried
into the sand
and the sand is pulled
back into the sea
The Friday Poem is edited by Ashleigh Young. Submissions are welcome at thefridaypoem@gmail.com
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.
