Spirit of the land - Makiutii Tongia

Spirit of the land - Makiutii Tongia (Cook Islands)

This land is my home
where the naked mountains caress
the sky
and the veins of hills run to the sea.

This land is my home
where I'll live alone until
my hair grows white
and my bones grow old
then I'll hang my spirit on tree tops
to provide a cushion of coolness
for children who gather round
evening fires.



(2007). D. O'Meara (Ed.), Voices of the Pacific: A poetry resource Auckland: Pearson Education.