About Christmas

It wasn’t the day
Or the hour
Of His birth that we remember
It isn’t who knelt
By His manger in worship
The matter or circumstance
Of His parentage is miraculous
But it’s beside the point
Each and every Christmas
We think back Two thousand years
And see
God
In His great Love
Removed His glorious raiment
Clothing Himself in flesh
Stepping off His mighty throne
To stand as an equal amongst us
He knew that He would face betrayal
Since before time began
It was already His Plan
To come and die
And rise victorious
Bringing Salvation
For all mankind
So
In essence
Each Christmas
We remember His sacrifice
His mercy
But most of all
We remember HIS LOVE

An Unwelcome Reality

In the face of a changing world
Where do you stand?
In the inevitability of our cultural extinction
What will you do?

Could you imagine yourself a refugee?
Assimilated into another nation
Just because yours lies hidden beneath the waves
Could you bear the harshness of asphalt under your bare feet –
And not the intimacy of sand shifting in the sun?

Can you imagine our children speaking foreign tongues –
But not the one spoken in these isles for thousands of years?
Our cultural heritage steeped in custom and tradition
Relegated to the dusty shelves of museums
Soon to be forgotten with the passing of time

The idea that our islands are sinking seems a farce
But the harsh reality seems closer than we had earlier thought
They’re giving us 50 years to move on to survive
Five decades to farewell our sacred groves
Five decades to mourn our dead long gone
Five decades to watch our land occupied over four thousand years ago disappear
50 years of heartache and pain
To set our house in order before we leave
This is our unwelcome reality

For Grog

This is my ode to the national drink
To the juice that makes you squint, squirm and lower your head in shame
Only to rise in proud stance to the call TAKI

This is for the first timers and avid fans
For those who wear their badges in scaled degrees
On their hands and knees (all over in fact)
This is for the conversations that flow along with the drink
Slowly winding down to a quiet contemplation
Each person wondering whose brave enough to call the next round

TAKI
The magic word sounds
The drink of the gods pours down
The poison spins round
This, well this is for the sounds of the frantic search for chaser
This is for the crackle of sweet wrappers
And the suckling sounds of mango skin sucked dry of all flavour

This is for the various ways of drinking
Some like they want to swallow the bilo along with the juice
Other’s like sipping hot tea
This is for the grimace and complaints of a strong mix, or the odd call that it’s too waicala
Served high tide, low tide, or in between
The levels dropping as the hours fly

This is for the different sized bilos used
And even the variety of substitutes
Ranging from mugs to porcelain bowls
Even the odd wine glass for the classy connoisseur
This is for the odd bucket, basins
And other odds and ends
That serves as the majestic tanoa

This is for reconciliation
For the weddings, funerals, birthdays, anniversaries
Class or family reunions, the odd encounter
The coincidental meet at the market
Rugby World Cups, Super 14’s and other rugby championships
And those moments when our thirst gets the better of us

This is for the yaqona of Fiji
The Ava of Samoa, Kava from Tonga
The Awa of Hawaii
And that potent stuff served in Nakamal’s in Villa, Noumea, Moresby and Honiara
Also in kitchens, grog shops, backyards, front porches
Vatuniloa’s, mango trees, village houses, sugarcane fields, University campuses
The list is endless
Those places where grog is served with relish
Whether five star or not

This is my ode to the magic of the call
TAKI

A Parody of Nature's Love

Mother Nature must really love us
She showers her love upon us each and every day
Raging sun, freezing storms, devastating winds and thirsty deserts
Volcanoes erupting, earthquakes rocking and waves surging
We feel and see her love for Humanity each and every day

Why does she love us so much?
Just think about it,
We destroy her virgin forests to expand our cities
We spill millions of barrels of oil into her oceans and seas
We kill indiscriminately the whales, the deer, the elephants, the lions, the tigers, the bears
And the list goes on and on,
In fact no creature of the animal kingdom is safe from us
Isn’t it a wonder that Mother Nature loves us???

She’s grateful to us for destroying the protective covering
That shields us from the sun’s rays
She giggles every time we dig deep mines into her face
Searching for gold, diamonds and every other mineral under the sun
She is happiest when we create landfill after landfill to contain all our waste and litter
Yes, I’m sure she loves us for all the fun things we do

In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if her love consumes us
Drowning our islands, flattening our cities
Burning our homes and killing every single human in existence
What greater expression of love could we ever expect from our Mother?

This could be food for thought,
How much more do we love ourselves?
To ensure our survival in the face of Mother Nature’s love

Pain

We’ve all
Felt it
Touched it
Seen it
Known it
In one way or another

It could be
As sharp as a knife
As blunt as a round ball

Lasts
As long as a second
And as short as eternity

It comes in many forms
In many ways
In different times
And in different styles

It drives us to shout out loud
Or weep in silence
It enables us to confront our problems
Or move along in quiet apathy

For as long as humanity lives
It is something we will never be free of
But with our ability to adapt
It is something we can learn to live with

The Art of Giving

There’s something to be said
About our capacity to give
The ability to look past our selfish pride
And offer help to someone else
Maybe it’s God given or maybe not
But I believe that it is something
Deeply inherent in all human beings

The power to release a portion of our wealth
Be it time
Be it money
Be it material worth
Or even a listening ear
The gift of giving is never lost

The best form of giving expects nothing in return
The most apt gift is that from the heart
The most powerful person in the world is the giver
Tis truly said that it’s better to give than to receive

Our acts of giving open up channels of love
Our willingness to give can change a person’s life
Imagine how much better our world would be
If everyone gave, without conditions
If everyone shared without regret
But most of all if everyone was thankful for the things they had
And still had the chance to give once more

Blessed are the givers I say
For theirs is the gift of love

You Drive me Crazy!!!

It’s that look in your eyes
You know
The one that swallows me whole
That look that sees through me
Making me feel like I’m there but again I’m not

It’s the way you hold my hand
Each stroke & caress
Hitting me with the force of a lightning bolt
That touch that says so much more
Than words could ever convey

It’s the way you say my name
Each inflection and consonant
Echoing in the halls of my heart
Sending shivers down my spine to my toes
Turning me to helpless clay
Your breathy whisper that leaves me wanting more

I’m sure
You know by now
That you drive me crazy
Your mere presence is enough
To make me swoon in ecstasy

And so I sit here
Writing this ode
Hoping to never lose this feeling
That only you could arouse in me

GAWD YOU DRIVE ME CRAZY!

Nostalgia

Every where I look
Every thing I do
Every time I’m alone
I can’t help but think of you

I long to hear your laugh again
I yearn for those times we shared
I wish that I could be by your side once more
But more often than not, it’s become wishful thinking

My heart aches so much
My tears almost spent
The longing within me so strong
My only release found in sleep’s embrace

But then my dreams find you
And I am glad once more
If only for the space of my dreamtime
Because it is there that we are together
Laughing together, singing together
Sharing together

And when the sun breaks in the horizon
The nostalgia will return to claim me
Till sleep draws me once more
To dream of you and me
Together

The Gospel of Rugby

The Gospel of Rugby
Well known far and wide
Its doctrines and laws
Plays and sequences
Memorised, treasured and kept close to heart
More than any religious text or constitutional mandate

The gospel of rugby
Has a simple yet diverse grammar
With verb forms and nouns
Made up of whizzes and whooshes
Bangs, pops and other imagined sound effects
The whole game summed up with wild gestures
And a frenzied description
Likened to that of a fiery preacher
Speaking of hell fire and damnation

Remember that it’s considered rude to interrupt one when one is talking rugby

The messiah of the gospel of rugby
Is that one player who breaks through the line
Dashing down the field to score try after try after try
Rising up to touch his heart and point skyward
Affording that win to some higher power
All an effort to show some pretense of humility
When deep inside he’s really going: In your face bitches!

The Gospel of Rugby captures your attention
Its grip so tight that the roads miraculously clear
Shops close down and everyone is seated round the television
Eyes glued to every movement and play
Even the domesticated animals are silent with trepidation
And all of a sudden A TRY!
Screams and shouting all around
Pots banging, children dancing
The game is won and the world cup is coming home
Hours later the government declares a national holiday
All in the name of the gospel of rugby

Heaven’s forbid that the team should lose
For the gospel of rugby can be insidious
Wounded pride demanding the sacrifice of the coach
And the team and the support crew and the management
And anyone else that’s deemed liable for the atrocities of THAT world cup
That’s the gospel of rugby for you
A poor attempt I must admit but as close to the truth as I would see it

The Day Will Return

In a sea of eternal night
When all is lost & desperate
In a time of endless darkness
When the spirit is battered & torn
In a waste of black horizons
When all that is seen is hatred & death

I believe that the day will return

In the moments when hope disappears
In the hours of unending pain
In the instance when suffering abounds
When living no longer is gain

I believe that the day will return

In the desert of infinite thirst
And a wasteland of total desolation
In swampy mires of drowning depression
And arid mountains of rising trouble

I believe that the day will return

I believe
The day will return in all its glory
Bringing hope & change
Relieving all suffering & pain

The day will return & forever stay
With its light & warmth
Healing & rest
Everything good & kind
Like sugar & spice

I believe that this night will not last
And Day will come with the sun
Battling its way through the dark
Ushering in a new dawn, a new Day
For you
For me
For everyone

Questions... about life... about death

Is it today little bird?
Has the time come?
Will today be the day when it all changes?

Am I ready, little bird?
Have I prepared enough?
Will I recognize the moment when it comes?

Time has flown by
Seconds passing into minutes
Then hours and days
Years overtake me
And here I stand
Waiting
With baited breathe

What will it be like, little bird?
What awaits me around this corner?
Will I remain strong or will I faint in its wake?
This endless waiting
For the inevitable
Tears at me
Leaving me hanging by the threads
Of what’s left to my sanity
Yet still I wait
And wait
And wait
And ask again

Is it today little bird?
Am I ready, little bird?
What will it be like, little bird?

Life… death… which is it little bird?

I lie in darkness... listening

I lie in darkness
Listening to the wind shaking the trees

I lie in darkness
Listening to the rain drum on tin roofs

I lie in darkness
Listening to the storm raging round me

I lie in darkness
And all I hear is nature’s fury

No cars running
No horns beeping
No TV’s blasting
Nothing human heard

Just the sounds of the wind and rain
Of lashing trees and creaking houses
Things breaking and crashing
Falling apart

I lie in darkness… listening

Still Breathing

I wrote this poem on the boat as we were leaving Suva...

Waves bobbing
To and fro
The horn sounds
The engines roar
Slowly the coastline fades from view
Slowly the distance grows between me and you
My heart grows pensive at the thought

How does one go on breathing –
When the heart is lost?
How does one keep moving forward –
When your legs are cut from underneath you?

It’s hard to imagine that the moon I see
In the night sky
Is the same moon that caresses your face
With its gentle light
The light over me seems lost; alone.
Just like me
The stars twinkling over you
Are to me cold and distant

But the thought
That we’ll meet again
Makes this seeming exile easier to bear
Keeps me hopeful for that day
Causing my heart to return
Bringing all into focus
Reminding me that I’m still breathing
And each breathe
Brings me closer to you

New Year Jitters

I wrote this poem at a New Years Eve church service. It took me the entire duration of the service (2 hours) to compose it. Pretty much deals with my jitters for this new year. Have a look:

What awaits me around the corner?
Which door will I walk through?
And which will lock me out?
Where will time’s ebb and flow draw me?

The future looms dark and unknown
It beckons me to reach out and touch it
Tempting me to dive headlong into uncertainty
Driving me to take the risk and not look back

But as I gaze backwards
And see where I’ve come from
See the winding pathways and shortcuts
The potholes and speed bumps along my life’s way
My heart is filled…

Filled with nostalgia
With yearning
Filled with regret
With every other feeling
Except satisfaction or peace

Is it just me?
Or does everyone feel the same way?
That we live year in and year out
Looking for satisfaction but never finding?
Each step we take forward
Uncertain and shaky
Constantly looking back
To see if we walked right

Is this the reason for my hesitancy?

The future looms with each passing second
Dark… Unknown… A true mystery
It beckons me to move closer
But I am hesitant
The door stands before me
But my hand shakes and fails to grasp its handle
The sea calls and draws me in
But my feet freeze at the shore

Our fear of the future
Is only natural
And even now it challenges me
My resolutions unmade and undecided
The clock chimes closer and closer
To the midnight hour
My resolutions seem a distant thing

What will I change?
What will I do?
What chances will I take?
Too tempted am I to judge its end
Too quick to guess its conclusion

So for now…
I resolve to walk on
Yes, my feet are shaking
But still I will move forward
Dive headfirst into this New Year
Embracing its possibilities
Releasing all my uncertainty and fears
Unashamed
Unrequited
And with hope

[Deep Breath]

Here I go... HAPPY NEW YEAR!