Ahi Kā - The Long Burning Fire
As the flames of our festival die down, we sit in the quiet glow. We have a wealth of warm memories to share. Join us as we roll out some key reflections from our readers and writers. They’ll come in poems, pictures, written accounts and eventually as podcasts of the precious recordings we made together. Let’s start at the beginning…
Ahi Kā – The Long Burning Fire was held at the beautiful Ōtākou Marae early on our festival programme and it was special for so many reasons. The kai was dreamed about for months, prepared over several days and bought together by so many hands. Special mihi must go to: Komene Cassidy for the fresh watercress, Harbour Fish for the gorgeous seafood, Southern Clams for the Tuaki | Cockles, Whitestone Cheese for the reels of creamy goodness and of course Augustines for the chutneys and jams.
The rikawera at Ōtākou marae and our wonderful volunteers did an amazing job hosting the everyone led by the master of manuhiritaka, the incomparable Julz Asher. Not only was this kai delicious but it also started a fire in the bellies of the poets and spoken word performers that night. It was a real pleasure to witness the way ideas flowed from as each speaker added their unique fuel to the fire. Tipuna entered the room through words and stories shared and we discussed the things that sustain a long burning fire, the things that matter most, healing ourselves, whānau, whakapapa and kai.
Excitingly two poets, mana whenua whānui, performed brand new work composed that very night, in response to the vibes, offering their words to feed the blaze. These two poems are so special as memories for our festival but also as named accounts of the warmth and wairua of the two iconic buildings at Ōtākou – each named for a tipuna.
Tamatea (Te wharenui) – By Waiariki Parata Taiapa
The cockles of the heart are warm
from the long burning fire here,
in good old, cold, Dunedin.
Not as cold as the NZ Govt though,
but more Kāi Tahu Kkkk(c)old
It sure is ‘makachilly...’ most times.
And here you stand,
Still
With a long burning flicker of fire within
You ask...
Ko wai koe?
Nō hea koe?
Kai te haere koe ki hea?
This no ordinary fire.
The flame burns...
Everytime our Pēpeha is at the tip of our tounge:
Ko Ōtākou te moana
Woosshh! Fire!
The flame burns...
When we realise that
This is no lonely walk
But rakatirataka in action
Wooossshhh! Fire!
This is...
Te mahi tamariki
The foundation
Smouldering embers
By the oily rag
Tamatea
You
Are even warmer than a
‘Dunnerstunner!’
Woosshh! Fire!
This is who we are
Ahikā.
-Nā Waiariki Parata-Taiapa
Hākuiao (Te wharekai) – Nā Ati Teepa
I can smell you Hākuiao
Your scent is wafting as we sit
inside Tamatea’s puku.
Your Tītī is giving me a hongi,
but Matua Edward is still speaking welcome
Words.
And I can just hear him over the sigh
of Tūaki opening in their spa of hot water.
Hākuiao,
The bones are barely holding
onto the meat.
And the greens are just a garnish.
Your kumara is softer than
my belly.
Which is stretching with each bite.
Hākuiao.
Ancestress
Great great great great great great great great the greatest grandmother.
We all need grannies like you.
He waka kotuia are soo loud
I can’t hear my lips smacking.
In your whare of ora.
But I can hear their Kupu
About them clowns in their beehive.
That whare patu ora.
Poroporo
Mirimiri pōrō.
Kai Hamuti.
Unlike us.
Te whare o te ora.
Hākuiao.
Kua mākona matou I a koe.
We are full.