Burial - Hone Tuwhare

This is probably appropriate right now. Haven't posted because my Grandfather died. Been staying with parents, but am back home now. Hopefully things will return to 'normal' now.




Burial
- Hone Tuwhare

In a splendid sheath
of polished wood and glass
with shiny appurtenances
lay he fitly blue-knuckled
and serene:

hurry rain and trail him
to the bottom of the grave

Flowers beyond budding
will not soften the gravel's
beat of solemn words
and hard sod thudding:

hurry rain and trail him
to the bottom of the grave

Through a broken window
inanely looks he up;
his face glass-gouged and bloodless
his mouth engorging clay
for all the world uncaring...

Cover him quickly, earth!
Let the inexorable seep of rain
finger his greening bones, deftly.


O'Sullivan, V. (Ed.). (1979). An anthology of twentieth century New Zealand poetry. Wellington: Oxford University Press.