I am Kiwi, who lives and works in Hong Kong, although we keep our house back in Te Araroa, East Coast. My latest book series is entitled English Through Poetry (2007 & 2009) and is out in the U.K., Australia, and Aotearoa.
I am also published in Hong Kong, The Philippines, Malaysia, and am currently longlisted for the Proverse Prize in Literature. Also now published in Thailand. Was not shorltlisted for Proverse Prize, so I guess have to now say 'was longlisted for inaugural Proverse Prize in Literature in 2009'
Kia ora ano,
Vaughan Rapatahana
Opotiki schoolmate, 40 years on
he seemed happy enough
locked
in
his own
crowded
sanctum,
peeled grape eyes,
somewhat askew
the hair now frostbitten,
and a paunch
to die for
form four
tattooed
fingers
splayed
in roll-your-own
spasms
&
a
permanently silly grin
spread like
runny butter
across
his stubbled
chin
if I didn’t know him better
I’d swear
his rheumy
greeting curse
was
heartfelt
and not
the lexicon
of a lost soul
downgrading,
years adrift,
tokeing
too many
flaccid doobies
and
cheap cardboard
vino
spilled
from
the corner store.
where we used to meet up
Hori, me,
and Macca,
the brown boys
drowning in
a
sea
of white.
