The Taramoukou ("God's Own Country" )

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Open Poetry #38

The Taramoukou ("God's Own Country" )

poettothecars
Senior Member

since 2006-02-10

Posts 1093
New Zealand

0 posted 2006-05-22 02:42 AM

"God's Own Country" [this poem below was penned in the building inside this photograph
© 2006 Christopher W Herbert (and I made the fences too)

44
The Taramoukou
15 February 1996

All alone with no one around
next to forest the state owns
The Taramoukou
a mile from anywhere

No schools or shops
no electricity to share
but a building all the same
forever known as the whare

A small shack, over the back
boards cut by hand
pit sawn for a purpose
for all seasons

A roof over my head
bunks for a bed
Who said Jesus was dead
for I was not alone

GLOSSARY:

TARAMOUKOU: the name given to this State [Government] owned Rain Forest (reserve)
of native trees unique to New Zealand; (word in Maori Language)

WHARE: New Zealand Maori Language word for: “ house or hut”

PIT SAWN: term used in reference to timber boards cut out of a tree by two person
handsaw. With one person on top of the log and the second person underneath in a
purposeful dug pit (or ditch). [In this case the indent in the ground can still be seen all
these years later. When two teenage boys, in 1945, under the supervision of their Father,
felled a large NZ natural timber tree (a Totara) and cut each board of timber out by hand.
The corrugated iron for the roof, they carried over land for around 3 miles in the form of a
stretcher arrangement. ]

“OVER THE BACK”: reference made to being located on the far side of the property
(farm, or estate) from the homestead.

As for this place of enchantment and the building of which inside this above works was
originally composed - the photograph above I call "God's Own Country"
While a copy of the above words also feature in being pinned to the wall of the Whare (hut)

© 2006 Christopher W Herbert (a New Zealand Poet)

a poet who cares

[This message has been edited by poettothecars (05-22-2006 04:48 AM).]

SEA

Moderator

Member Seraphic

since 2000-01-18

Posts 22676
with you

1 posted 2006-05-22 10:18 PM

is this on your dad's farm? It's so beautiful there!

You are lucky to live is such an amazing place.

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