What is this place?






                                                                                                                                        a can’t believe it’s true?

                                                                                                                                        a couldn’t have really happened?
I di e     died here.

I di e     dead here
                                                                                                                                        a something horrendous?

                                                                                                                                        a something unspeakable?




                                                                                                                                        Hear that?
Rumbling downunder.

Thundering upover.
                                                                                                                                        Feel that?
Quake. Quaking. Wake. Waking.
                                                                                                                                        Anyone else finding it hard to breathe?
breath sharing breath
                                                                                                                                        sharing breath
breath
                                                                                                                                        breathe




This, is something else.

Something else, this is.

reaching to, a reaching from, a reaching from, a reaching to, reaching foward, reaching back



s          t          r          e          t          c          h          i          n          g



re  mber  re  e  y  e  ember  mem  ry  rem  ber  remem  re  memory  remember  remember
                                                     Layered upon

                                                                     upon

                                                                     upon



                                                                                                                                        Yes, yes. It’s a University now.

                                                                                                                                        What was it before?




Awaking. A waking.

Awakening.

A          w          a          k          e          n.




I’m desperate to ask someone who’ll know.

                                                                                 Shit, out of luck in this tomb of a place.

I’m desperate to see someone who’ll know.

                                                                                 Mana whenua e, kai hea koutou? Kai hea tatou ma? 2
Aglow with the faces of her mob, a Sister Lands.




                                                                                 E te tuahine3, what is this place? a can’t believe

                                                                                 it’s true? a couldn’t have really happened, a

                                                                                 something horrendous? a something

                                                                                 unspeakable?
                                                                                  Ka mate nga tangata whenua i kōnei ne ha?4 
Our stories the same but, not. Our stories the same. But. Not. Our stories the same. But. Not.

whisper, whispering whispers whisper, whispering whispers whisper, whispering whispers
love, loving the loves.

sad, sadding the sads.
whisper, whispering whispers, whispering whispers, whispering whispers, whispering.
ears trembling with song.

mouth trembling with sing.
                                                                                  bones jangling, jangle em bones
                                                                                  here/there / there/ here/ here/ hear

                                                                                  every where



Sista, do you really want to know?

                                                                                  Tell me.
The walls of this building is mixed with the bones of the Original Peoples of this Land. The

walls of this building is mixed with the bones of the Original Peoples of this Land. The walls

of this building is mixed with the bones of the Original Peoples of this Land. The walls of this

building is mixed with the bones of the Original Peoples of this Land. The walls of this

building is mixed with the bones of the Original Peoples of this Land. The walls of this

building is mixed with the bones of the Original Peoples of this Land. The walls of this build.







Walls. Building. Bones. Peoples.

Building. Bones. Peoples.

Bones. Peoples.

Peoples bones.







And.          We’ve.          Been.          Eating.          In.          Here.







                                                                                  here/ here

                                                                                  everywhere
OurstoriesthesamebutnotOurstoriesthesamebutnotOurstoriesthesamebutnotOurStoriesthesa
                                                                                            Straya’s always nek level

me. Not. Ourstoriesthesame. Not. Ourstoriesthesame. Not. Our stories the same. Not. Our

                                                                                            Fair go, Kiwi’s no diff’rent mate.
Storiesthesame. Our Stories the same.

Our. Stories. The.

Same.
Auē! Auē! Taukiri ē! 5







Sister, I should have greeted you,                               Sister, I should have greeted you,

with hongi.                                                                       with hongi.







Sister. You did.







                                                                                            Sister, I should have greeted

                                                                                            you with hongi.































                                                                     My Sister. We did






























1https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/39856/the-hongi. Authors note: Is not restricted to formal occasions.

2People of this land, where are you? Where is everyone?

3Sister.

4The peoples of this land died here, didn’t they?

5An exclamation of lament.