The Land of the Long White Cloud

Posted: March 4, 2014 | Author: Elle Warrener | Filed under: Poetry | Tags: Christchurch, Clouds, Earthquakes, Hope, Journey, Life, New Zealand, Photography, Poetry, Reflections, Scenery | Leave a comment

The Tea Tree – Manuka’s renowned healing honey,

Natural, Native. Also the Cabbage Tree

Bats – Mammal, Nocturnal. The endangered Kiwi

Eels were there, long before the Maori   

Scottish Gorse Yellow Broom – Invasive, Choking

Poisonous weeds everywhere – Lupin, Lupin

Introduced Stoat, Possum. Pests with no predator

Ecosystem spoiling. Epidemic. Man can’t keep score

 

Sheep. Lots of sheep. And Shrek’s evasive ability

Finally found, paraded around. Made into a celebrity

Public shearing. 60 Pounds of finest wool – Merino

Mix it with Possum fur. So it’s outdoors people go

 

Rugby. All Blacks. Haka. Lord of the Rings

Southern Alps. Kia – Alpine Parrot’s green wings

Tranzalpine route. Stunning lakes. Fiordland

Glaciers. Crevasses. Blue ice. Cruise along Milford Sound

 

Salmon farms. Wineries. More sheep. And cattle stations

Giant metal insects, creeping. Used for irrigation.

Fault line. Earthquakes. Collapsing buildings in Christchurch

Devastation. Aftershocks that caused the earth to lurch.

 

White Chairs for loved ones. One Hundred & Eighty Five

All different. All Unique. One for each who lost their lives

Cardboard Cathedral. Rebuilding. Hope. Community

Brave. Resourceful. Inspiring. Vision. Opportunity.

 

Gateway to Antartica. Extreme sports in Queenstown.

JUMP. From anything. Anyway you can get down!

Land speed. World record. World’s Fastest Indian. Burt Munro.

Welcomed home a hero, but to Salt Flats, Utah he had to go.

 

Land of the Long White Cloud, New Zealand has everything

Dame Kiri Ta Kanawa. Opera Queen who can really sing

Sharing Kai with the Whanau. Mirror Lakes. Water – pure

Rainforest. National Parks. Lush hills. Wanaka’s beautiful shore

 

Reflections of life. Large and deep just like the lake

New memories I won’t forget. Life affirming. Make no mistake

Aotearoa – Majestic land. Gone for now. I leave in awe

Scenery at every turn. Left too quickly. So I must return for more

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