Remembrance

I know a chant at evening
When voices could be heard,
And minds that were once strong.
I have stood beneath a kowhai tree,
In the bright moonlight,
Watching dark shadows cast by giant Kauris.
I know a sacred pool,
Hidden from sight,
Where ferns unfurl their green umbrellas.
I have seen the bird Tui,
In the topmost branches of a tree
And heand his song of summer magic.
I have uncovered the sweet dampness of the honeysuckle,
Winding its way down bushland paths,
And the tall punga waving gently in a light breeze,
I have walked on pine needle carpets through native forests,
And on spongy green moss along swampy land,
In the sunlight and the shade
I have felt the mystery of Rangi (the Sky),
And the joy of Papa (the Earth)
And I know what I know,
That these are things to
Remember.

A. Watene