LOVE BITTERN PROJECT

A poem shared by Claris Harvey

Dear Wendy ,

This was a wee poem I wrote for a local library which was turning 100 years old. The brief was to include the words Grey Lynn library …

I started imagining the area where I live , that it would have had many bitterns and Wetlands at some stage. Also, the library is right close to the convent and the church so I was tying in a bit of geography of the area.

Nga mihi
Claris

—

1924
that summer that the south westerly wind blew so strong it delivered us each night 
      the mating cry of the last matuku bird 
       his deep boom was cast out up the hill to the Convent 
           always at sunset 
           for he was a true romantic 
           the nuns shuttered their windows against him 
            for he was all desire  
                          Boom Boom Boom 
        come nest with me he cried 
over to the home for little children 
where they made a game of whacking each other with the fat raupō heads 
   cut down by the work men 
                   Boom Boom Boom 
                   Make way for new housing ! 
and the fresh white wedding cake of the Grey Lynn Library ready for opening day 
          his bullrush home was all but gone by then 
          but still he cried 
                      I’m the best lover 
                                   just - let me show you one time? 
                                                     Boom Boom Boom 
The pollen of the raupō flecked the children’s white school smocks orange and the nuns punished them good for it 
              But the last matuku bird 
                         never got the chance to have any fun 
                                                                  Boom Boom Boom