My all time favorite poem. Ever.
Rain - Hone Tuwhare
I can hear you making
small holes in the silence
rain
If I were deaf
the pores of my skin
would open to you
and shut
And I should know you
by the lick of you
if I were blind:
the steady drum-roll
sound you make
when the wind drops
the something
special smell of you
when the sun cakes
the ground
But if I should not
hear
smell or feel or see you
You would still
define me
disperse me
wash over me
rain
O'Sullivan, V. (Ed.). (1979). An anthology of twentieth century New Zealand poetry. Wellington: Oxford University Press.
this a very good poem I love it
ReplyDeleteby a student in Henderson intermediate school in Auckland
me too! especially sung by Don McGlashan on Tuwhare..
ReplyDeleteMe Three! This is a very Cool Poem cause he writes about the feelings and stuff!
ReplyDeleteBy A Girl From Tamaki Primary in Auckland!
hiiiii!!!
DeleteI like this poem. Student from northcross intermediate.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was at Turakina Maori Girls College between 1987-1990, the senior students turned this poem into a song, sung without instruments, in a multitude of harmonies. The entire school learned to sing the song and it was truly beautiful. To this day, I recite every word of this beautiful poem and can still hear the choir-like voices of my fellow schoolmates from TMGC.
ReplyDeletesorry but this poem has been set out all wrong and not the way Dad set it out please contact honetuwharepoetry@gmail.com and you can put the correct version up.
ReplyDeleteCheers Rob Tuwhare
A good poem opens your eyes to see the world anew and this poem certainly did this for me.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully evocative
ReplyDeleteKia ora
ReplyDeleteDid Hone write a poem about kotare plundered of fishponds
Nga mihi