murchison afternoon

murchison afternoon
for my father gold-mining
december 2011, revised 2021
murchison – westport

Matakitaki Bridge after the 1929 earthquake; photo sourced from RNZ & attributed to John Spencer

its heyday already
over, the place
shaken to a ghost
of itself, when the
hills caved in*,
wouldn’t have
gone ahead by much
in your days here,
a man of the mountains
come down to the town
for flour, a beer,
a look through the
general store
never bargaining
on prices, at most
just shaking your
head with hat
in hand.

in the pub
getting a coffee

tenderly mine

tenderly mine
                for Keikei

not knowing
whence
this life
rises still
the fountain
lip of heart
mossed over
nor into
what dark it
runs through

it raineth

it raineth
    September 2013

The rain settled in,…..a snap by the wet Weathercats

anyone could
see the rain’s
set in
‘the rain it
raineth everyday’*
in for the long
haul down ridge
and range on
paddock and muddy
track the low clouds
kapok coming undone
the rain falling on
bowsprit and cockpit