Monday, May 23, 2011

Rain - Hone Tuwhare

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.

10 comments:

  1. this a very good poem I love it
    by a student in Henderson intermediate school in Auckland

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  2. me too! especially sung by Don McGlashan on Tuwhare..

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  3. Me Three! This is a very Cool Poem cause he writes about the feelings and stuff!
    By A Girl From Tamaki Primary in Auckland!

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  4. I like this poem. Student from northcross intermediate.

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  5. When 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.

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  6. sorry 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.
    Cheers Rob Tuwhare

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  7. A good poem opens your eyes to see the world anew and this poem certainly did this for me.

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  8. Kia ora

    Did Hone write a poem about kotare plundered of fishponds
    Nga mihi

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