Hei Matau

Maui pulls on the rope from the waka
Up comes the biggest ika ever, hanging on the hei matau
The North Island
Te Ika a Maui
The fish of Maui

Lying in the depths of the moana
The kaitieki of Aoteroa search
Ika, Fish
The spirit and hopes of the Maori inside a single hook

Once the plentiful provider of fish
Now a symbol of the land of my birth
Once a gift of food
Now a gift from my great grandmother
Paua emblazoned on the smooth bone hook
A perfect hei matau
Bringer of luck and strength
It hangs on my neck in tough times as if it were a newborn baby
A representation of my family values, of who I am
He aroha whakato, he aroha puta mai
If kindness is sown, then kindness you will receive.

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This poem was Highly Commended (Secondary) for Poetry Object 2016

Judge's Notes:
"This is another poem that moves boldly between two languages. Here the context is announced right from the beginning. It refers to the Maori story of the hero god Maui in his canoe (waka) hauling up the big fish (ika) that is the North Island of New Zealand: Te Ika-a-Maui. I am not from New Zealand but the poem is presented to me as a reader as a way to enter into such a story of such a place. To try to understand ‘The spirit and hopes of the Maori inside a single hook’. So, the poem tells its story by alternating between the two languages, English and Maori, and the meaning is clear, the importance is clear. The writer also shows how this is embodied within an object, ‘paua emblazoned on the smooth bone hook’ that is a gift handed down, from great grandmother, part of a strong lineage ‘luck and strength’, a talisman. The poem’s final line ‘If kindness is sown, then kindness you will receive’ also takes the story into another place, where kindness is also important, as well as strength, or that it, indeed, is strength, and a great value, whatever language you choose to say this in."
~ Jill Jones, Judge, Poetry Object 2016