17. Raggedy Ann

Raggedy Ann – quiet and calm

Leant over me with her sister behind
Her moppy long hair, very red, very straight
With her face out of sight, no humanity bared

But that seems to be their nature – the Poutiriao
No care for frailty; of fears and emotion

Just a clinical interview of the mind, body and soul
and testing the bits that seem out of whack

The first tested confrontation, the second one fear
and this one – the heart, stabbing me there
I woke in the morning with a faint pain in my heart
wondering what lay ahead, on another new path...

16. Flashes of anger and fury

Indiscernible murmurs, unrestrained movement
striking out at me, reaching out at me,
as I slumber, as I sleep
Behind my eyes I see flashes of hot white light
of rage and anger rising and falling
but ebbing as quickly as they begin to flow
Despite this, I feel neither anxiety, neither adrenalin
nor does my heart rate increase or even miss a beat

Moments pass and now within it's reach
I feel tiny fingers apon my face
nails clawing at my lips and nose
My eyes slowly open
and there is my 3 month old niece
placed beside me in bed
my alarm - my morning wake up call

"Good morning my princess"...

15. Out with the old...

Teaching invitations and standing ovations,
invites to dinner and eating at the finest restaurants
That was the life of a postgrad student
making ground breaking discoveries
in the pursuit of knowledge - of mātauranga

But one cold night, in the blink of an eye
As we drove along talking, laughing and singing
Black spiraling smoke jumped at the car
Making this all seem like a distant memory or dream

A pātaka - a storehouse, of knowledge and wealth
of tools and of theories had I brought all together
But like looters, like thieves they came back in the night
and used my whole body as I dreamed, as I slept

They made my mind reach and made my heart dive
and made me wield tools like weapons of might
Before dawn did we travel to the edge of the World
Abducting and using me to break through to the Night

But before Night's gates, before the darkness of Dawn
Did the guardian come and put out his hand
But it was me that was thrust down at his feet
as my captors laughed and screamed well behind me

We returned to the morning until the next Dawn
When they'd try again to go into the Night
But on awakening to the tohunga I ran
thrust into the Ocean until I was clean

Reality's changed but not for the worse
where animals smile and feejoa trees cry
I make flowers bloom and lay spirits to rest
and undergo tests of my heart and my mind

But having a vision is key to it all
to plant my feet firmly in both of these worlds
to walk with the spirits, while shopping for milk
of conjuring futures, not struggling with life

14. The Young King of Sri Lanka

Pretty and beautiful the young King of Sri Lanka

Moved and danced entertaining his Court
To a backdrop of tables filled with friends,
filled with feasts and as his own washing
blew about his sweet face

With liberty and freedom did he dance once again
without even a care, for the English invading
He lifted the spirits of all those around
his people, his minders - all of the crowd

In this dream he taught me sweet values in life
to revel against danger, be humble despite station
And most of all, despite my own state
Was to focus on others – to inspire, give hope

13. Words, art and the landscape

Toi te kupu, toi te mana, toi te whenua
Knowledge in words, art and the landscape

This research;

1. Uses a Māori whakatauki (proverb) to ground the research within a Māori worldview of research
   
2. Reviews Māori access and collection management work to date in meeting the challenges of providing access to or managing Māori clients and material in an effort to show the need for Māori research in this area
3. Looks at the debasement and decline of Māori knowledge and forms of managing information
   
4. Looks at 3 key mediums used by Māori to record, retain and disseminate information; words, art and the landscape or environment
   
5. Intends to introduce traditional aspects of Māori information management into Library Education Instruction in a University Library specifically for Māori to improve information literacy levels
   
6. Intends to introduce traditional aspects of Māori information management into the Library and Information Management Curriculum in New Zealand

12. Knowledge without enlightenment

[Quote] The Sage's warning and admonition to the present generation;

Now, I [Te Matorohanga] have another word to say; so you may be clear on this subject. Be very careful in reciting these valuable teachings that your ancestors have collected during the past generations right away from the period of Rangi [the Sky-father] and Papa [the Earth-mother] down to the present day.

Notwithstanding, that the teachings from the Whare-wānanga are now mere shreds, because they are no longer combined, some still remain whilst others are lost; some parts diverge [from the originals] and to some additions have been made.

This is in consequence of the decadence of the power, authority and prestige of the conduct of the various rituals, of the [abrogation of] the tapu, of the [unbelief in] the gods, until, at the present time, there is none of the ancient măna, or power left—all things have changed.

The tapu has ended; the true teaching has been lost; as well as the karakia [invocations, etc.], the meanings of which are now [comparatively] unknown. Because the tapu was all important—the first of all things; without it none of the powers of the gods were available, and without the aid of the gods all things are without authority and ineffectual;1 the [mind of man] is now in a state of confusion [literally, like a whirlwind], as are all his deeds; the land is the same.

The Whare-wānangas, the karakias, the tuāhus [altars], the pures [or sanctification] of man of different kinds, baptism of men with water, are all abandoned. So also are the powers to attract fish and birds, or to influence the growth of food-plants. At the present time, different karakias, different methods, different tapus, even a different language prevails.

Hence it is that the present teaching differs from that of the old priests, such as has been explained above [and as follows in later chapters]; and hence also it is that I impress on you the [former] aspect of these things, that you may be clear as to the descent of the măna-atua, [the god-like powers] even from Io [the Supreme God], and from the Whatu-kuras, Mareikuras, and the Apas of each separate heaven, down to the Patu-pai-arehe and Turehu.

At the present time those kinds of gods no longer exist; they have become degraded into reptiles, stones, and trees—such are the present gods. And the [true, original] reptile-gods, stone-gods, tree-gods no longer exist. Men now live in a wilderness; they are careless of these things; of everything.

It is for this reason that no māna [adequate power to make use of and apply this ancient knowledge] will be attained by you; and I also say to you that those things which you are writing [from my dictation] are but the ends, fragments, of the truth, a portion only of sacred things; the [anciently] established and true teaching has become effaced, as well as the [science of] the tapu, together with the true god-like powers that descended from Io-the-great, Io-the-parentless. Enough of these words to you.

-          Te Mātorohanga, Lore of the Whare Wānanga, 1913

Reference Link (Potential Response)

11. In the shadow of a wolf

Two eyes peered back at me from the darkness of my mind
Sharp pointed ears appearing above them
a long nose and sneering mouth and sharp teeth in front

Fear wells up but I find the strength to say
"If you come for good you're welcome to stay
but if you come for bad, you must go away"
Passing the first test the Black Wolf disappears
and in it's a place the head of a majestic White Wolf
bows before me almost allowing me to touch him

The path to knowledge has many perils
it has many challenges which cannot be met
with a meek heart or by brute force
but with humility, compassion and true bravery

I am reminded to show appreciation for the reveal
and with that, a third one introduces himself
A Brown Wolf with eyes closed tight due to a smile
that brings reassurance and warmth to my heart and mind

Like a lamb I now walk in the
shadow of a great White Wolf
Wild animals now shy away from me
Spirits and demons fall behind me
His protection and safety now afford me
opportunities to run, jump, buck and experiment

But now and then I dread when I think
that he himself was once a lamb
who walked in the shadow of his own great Wolf

10. The cost of knowledge

The casket lay open with his small, frail and naked body
laid out showing his vulnerability in death
But, as I moved forward his eyes slowly opened
his arms unfurled and his long fingers reached for my ring

What did the dead require in return for knowledge?
The cost was life - was mauri, enabling him
to be strong and invincible once again

But in no way would I give human life or human mauri
What I gave was the mauri or essence of love, of aroha
Mauri I could grow and replenish over and over again

I walked past seeing a beautiful
black dog cut down in the street
I called out to her making her rise once again
Her protective mate standing over her
demanded to know what I wanted in return
Just knowledge - just knowledge

The darkness enveloped me and shadows
from the essence of the night itself
stood silently waiting for me to ask, and to pay a price
Beautiful creatures of cunning and deceit
also came revealing a score of men and women
now bound by a transaction made with the dark

It is now that I realise knowledge had a price
that the dead revealed truth
that animals communicated
and the darkness itself once gave answers
but all at a cost - all at a price