Bearers of Discomfort

Bearers of Discomfort

If being such, means
That our message
Sinks in and resonates
Beyond the skin
Flesh deep!

And the truth of it
Is not only found
By the carver
The tatooist
The storyteller
or the protester!

But by the scientist
The politician
The priest and
The rubbish can!

Then ours is the earth
And everything on
And within it!

The discomfort is yours
You deserve it!

M. Whaitiri Mikaere (c) April 26th 2012.

Having been quiet for some time now, it seems cheating to borrow someone else’s words.  But does it really matter if the kaupapa matches and those words are fantastic?  Thanks to the fabulous Whaitiri for permission to reproduce her poetry.  On the topic of Māori talent, an emerging Māori artist with a distinctive sound below.  I heard the audio first and imagined ‘freedom to live’ to be an expression of tino rangitiratanga – as in: the freedom to live as one is.  From the video the artist seems to be referring to the strident nationalism of war.  I think I’ll stick with my interpretation…