No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were. …
In Guernica
In Guernica the dead children Were laid out in order upon the sidewalk, In their white starched dresses, In their pitiful white dresses. On their foreheads and breasts Are the little holes where death came in As thunder, while they were playing Their important summer games. Do not weep for them, madre. They are gone …
An open letter to the players of the Canterbury Crusaders
After the earthquakes, you were one of the things that helped us all hold on. You were a symbol of unity, of the ability of Cantabrians to pull together and get through what were then our darkest days. I’ve been a fan of Canterbury Rugby since I came to live in New Zealand, twenty-five years …
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Gail Ingram – A poem for Christchurch
My friend Gail Ingram, who is a Christchurch poet, writer, and editor, has done what I don’t seem to be able to do and put eloquent words around some of what we’re all feeling. And Radio NZ had the immense good sense to whip her into the studio and record it. Have a listen: https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2018687085/a-poem-for-christchurch …
Grief, the international currency
Just under three weeks on from the second Christchurch earthquake, and it seems the tragedies keep piling up. They're still trying to recover bodies in the city of Christchurch, and now Japan is being put to the sword. Having been through both 7.1 and a 6.3 magnitude quakes, I can't even begin to imagine how …
A Dark Feathered Art 