Why
I came because an illicit wind
Pushed & carried
& left me, bedraggled
& adrift on summer tides
‘Til I washed ashore
& was welcomed
By the love of the River Tribe –
& I stepped beyond the edge
& my poems were ants
& they frightened me
But wonder followed
& joy & tears
& I heard the Beloved
In the free singing tongues
Of the young of Europe
& I knew it was love
& it sang in the magic
Of the Marble Mountain
& the swelling waters
Of Te Waikoropupu
& I knew the danger
Yet, still
I
Came
.
.
………………………………………….
‘Illicit wind;’ the wairua or spirit
‘The River Tribe;’ was a spontaneous community of young people. Most of ‘the tribe’ came from overseas. There were, however, a handful of Kiwi’s. Core values of the River Tribe included; freedom, love & sustainability.
The poem was written as a response to the question; ‘Why I came to Golden Bay.’