Tangled Roots and Birdsong

by LisaMay

In the Captain’s cabin,
the curtains are drawn aside.
His ship nudges along the coastline,
new scents of adventure
snuffling in and out of the bays.
Damp earth wafts aromas
in subtleties of unnamed grace.

Borne upon swirling currents,
the pallid air solidifies.
Shifting mist plays tricks
as landscape formed, reforms.

At the edge of a primeval world
the forest gathers, shoulder-to-shoulder,
stoic in the face of intruders.
Unfamiliar trees are botanical specimens
to be collected, classified and named;
native inhabitants to be overcome and tamed;
the land itself to be mapped and claimed.

Tangled roots and dark fists clench,
unclench, in koru-curled ferns.
With apprehension’s lamentation
hidden birds sing their own tunes
from a distant place.

* * *

Far-reaching influence
stretched around the globe –
from Northern parts, the British
adjusted their eyes, their ears, their minds
to see, to hear, to understand
the psychology of this Southern land.

In the context of conquest,
the impact of change
creates contention and division.
Gripped by grievance,
tangled roots become toxic.

Connections of the heart
– the momentous 'now' for 'us' –
comes with compromise, acceptance,
and belonging.

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Authorâ??s Note:

1.) Captain James Cook was the first European explorer to map most of New Zealand's coastline and claim the land for the British Crown. This month and year marks the 250th anniversary of his arrival, October 1769.

2.) The word 'koru' is used in this poem. If you are not from New Zealand you may not know what it is. The koru is a spiral shape based on the appearance of a new unfurling fern frond. It is an integral symbol in Maori art, carving and tattooing, where it symbolises new life, growth, strength and peace.

3.) New Zealand, generally, has stable race relations, but this anniversary is being used as a platform by some members of the Maori community to voice their outrage at the 'invasion'. Acknowledging Captain Cook's skill also means acknowledging the difficult history of colonization. Being told to 'go back where you came from' is not helpful to people who may come from immigrant backgrounds but were born here, or live here by choice and love the country and want to see it prosper as a united country. This would be true of any country and its residents.

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An explorer makes landfall.

Tangled Roots and Birdsong

by LisaMay

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