Rahera Walter, is of Maori descent from Kaikohe/Kutarere but was raised in Otara, South Auckland. She is currently in her second year of studying Creative Writing at MIT. She can be found on a bus or train, scribbling on scraps of paper or her limbs.
Black Dog
im jus bitch
shitted out of black
black
dog
black dog
dat's wah he sez
wen he choke rope around neck,
dat nowun wants scraps ta bring da flies
dat nowun wants ta deal wif mess
so he chuck me behind shed
where no one could see nose lowered unda dirt
ears jammed behind hurt
World
neva hear me whine
got flicked away wif whisper
trampled unda owner
but he neva see me
neva see ma eyes unbroken
smashed everyfing else
he broked ma everi bone, delicate
started from da fingers
he broked ma soul, delicate
started from da beauty
somefing dat neva knew me
cos' i wore ugly on ma coat
dat's wah he sez
half a century i laid ma nose
unda poison man
had nofing, he picked me empty
to da way i brushed hair
to da way i smiled blue
to da way i sez ma thought
to da way i stand in shoe
but
he didn't see ma eyes
and he not know that
i read,
i read,
i read,
ya know
wif every page turn
i lick all da pages
and it becomes me
i not dumb
i beautiful dog
i am,
i am,
i am,
and
he not dog
he not human
he
Mean.
