TURBINE | KAPOHAU

Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back, 
partly because, I’d been there before; 

after a while, it feels like the only 
thing you get from it is loss: 

every lover is less a love, 
just like every location is less of a home. 

At least, that’s how I sometimes see it; 
at other times, it feels as if 

each place has different friends for me 
and every move brings a different home. 

It’s all about how you take it, Catherine; 
and I’m not sure how you get that right. 

I could tell you how it’s helped a lot 
to remember what my teacher said 

when he said you can think of coming back 
to the breath like a kind of coming home; 

I could go on about Odysseus, 
whose homecoming was only complete 

after decades of wars and wanderings – 
not to mention loss of friends, and loves. 

But I think the only sound advice 
is to keep an open mind, and stay 

alive to moments such as these, 
driving up a winding road 

10 000 miles away from home, 
in a place I’ve never been before 

and on the stereo, the cheesy 
music singing Welcome Home. 

From Te Waikoropupu to Harwood Hole 

We used to swim here as a family, 
but now you can’t even touch the water. 

The Maori just declared it tapu – 
that seems to be a recent myth. 

We drove up deep into the hills, 
and walked into a shady wood 

where we were all surprised to see 
a cluster of trees in a shadow of snow. 

I’d taken it for fallen light 
but I guess that that’s happens when 

you leave a shadow overnight 
to develop for hours in total darkness. 

And soon we were clambering, picking our way 
between roots and rocks; then the rocks got bigger 

and suddenly we were at the hole. 
Promise me you’ll grab this tree, 

you called, and I made sure I did; 
I held it tight, and gazed down once. 

At a safer distance, we tossed in ice 
and counted the seconds before it crashed; 

then gingerly, we took our pictures; 
though none of them captured the awesome drop. 

I’m not afraid to admit that hole 
scared the bejesus out of me; 

in spite of which, I’m glad they haven’t 
put up any barriers, 

since, myths or no myths, I’ve good reason 
to be convinced that place is tapu.