Poem #47 - Michael O'Leary

Okahu Bay

Dark night, wind off the harbour

Once you approach the sand

The pohutukawa trees surround you

The moon, cut in half and half-hidden by clouds

Provides the only natural light

Each wave that laps at your feet

Has reached you from eternity

The darkness of self - of unremembered soul

The night within embraces my vision

The sadness of each memory

Is like each wave of water

Together they make a flood of tears

Which drown the cries of the heart

This evening you were the moon to me

The only pure light in a life of shadows

Like the moon you too hid behind a veil

Showing light enough for life, but not for love

After a time we left for Okahu Bay

Broke through the line of pohutukawa

I let you walk ahead so you would not see me

Kneel, then kiss the ground,

The ground of my childhood, the ground of my life

Okahu

(as translated by Jean Wikiriwhi)

Kua pouri, ka pupuhi te hau

Mai i te moana,

Hurihuri nga pohutukawa,

Te Marama hangere, kua ahua ngaro i te kapua

Ko tenei anake te maramatanga,

Ke ata papakihia mai e nga ngaru a wae

Ka te pouri au, kua wareware te ngakau,

Ko te po kei te awhi i taku kitenga,

Te aroha ki tena ki tena,

Pera ki ia ngaru o te wai,

Hui katoa, ka heke te manawa,

I tenei ahiahi ko koe

Te marama ki ahau

Ko kou te maramatanga, i tenei ao pouri,

Pera i te marama kahuna kou i

Ko te maramatanga hei oranga, kaore mo te aroha

A, ka wehe mai i Okahu

Ka mahue nga pohutukawa,

Ko koe i mua, kia kore koe e kite i ahau

Ka tuturi, ka kihi i te one,

Ko te one o taku tamarikitanga,

                        to one o taku oranga ...