109. Serving up the Tree of Life

In my hotel room in downtown Auckland
I fall sleep looking up at the stars
and within moments I'm standing on air
with 7 old wise men, very regal, quite near

They stand in a V shape wearing beautiful robes
akin to our velvet in dark blues, reds and greens
but around their own temples I see ancient symbols
on old, ancient faces you'd see on great halls

The 2 in the center now conjure together
creating a tree made of silver and gold
and soon it starts spinning away from them all
and moves towards me like a slow spinning ball

I'd heard about trees in the Garden of Eden
the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life
but as this one here is coming towards me
I wonder why I'm filled, with such panic and strife?

57. Powers of the Night

I leap from my bed and see hundres of moths
who flutter and fall all about my own room
They land on my head, my shoulders and arms
all shades of white and all shades of blue

They cannot stay here I think to myself
and reach for the light switch to bring about dark
They follow the light of the bright shining moon
and make for the window and out into the night

On leaving - the sun, now shines in the room
and choruses of singing is heard from outside
Where there were hundreds of moths I now see
kaumātua or elders singing to me

They sing of the moon and sing of the stars
of songs which delighted me when I was a boy
and a grey haired old man strums a guitar
belting out words amidst smiles and roars

The words of the song perplex me a little
as I hear of a dialect void of an 'f'
and beside me my grand aunt steps into the light
and we watch all our kin of the Pai Mārire faith

Guiding me slowly with love and with light
my elders now sing of the powers of night
They sing of the moon and sing of the stars
and sing, as my tears, fall across my own heart....