1043
fear
of Haast
'no
camping'
the
sign says
and
it's for your own safety
for
your sanity
Maori
knew better than stop here long
the
first 'settlers' were borne off by mosquitoes
big
as a batch
no
one would crib in their right mind here
spirit
of Pouakai
huge
of talon
and
the sandflies
not
the kind of cloud you'd wish for
I
remember – and it's forty one years ago now –
a
row of sad shacks
the
weather was at
dusk
endless – no fly screen
head
in the bag weeping
now
and then popping out to count
a
sample of the mosquito ceiling
to
get an estimate, that's all
always
more each time one looked out
as
if by invitation – 'pakeha delicious'
we
are wanted for our blood
sour
coast
they're
opening the world heritage
mosquito
sanctuary and sandfly interpretation centre
the
grey lifts
and
the grey comes down –
rain
blesses the moment with less bugs
on a
holiday working
the
Chinese girl in the little shop
grown
to a supermarket of sorts
still
smiling
I'm
thinking – glaciers, rainforest
Wanaka,
anywhere ...
I'm
wondering
what
exactly was it she did wrong
in
some past distant life
sad shacks shounds like Sean Connery
ReplyDeleteall that cribbing and batching, don't rub it, makes it worse
ReplyDeleteI like the sandfly interpretation centre Kit
ReplyDeleteLord I been there
ReplyDeleteat the education centre
no one learns anything