A Land Without EmperorsTwo Armies Exhibition, Auckland 2003Rangi Faith
In these southern islands too,
those departing a hard life
were given due respect —
& when burial came
on a beach or an island cave,
the offerings chosen
were never simple:
the egg for nourishment,
the adze for shelter,
the chisel for the unfinished
tattoo line,
& the pendant to remember
the heartbeat
and the colour of a land
without emperors,
and palaces,
& men on horseback;
here,
sandals of flax
or shoes of gold
walk the same path
to another life.
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