Sister, I Should Have Greeted You, with Hongi

By | 1 February 2022
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.

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