Matariki

ko te Matariki he wā hei hurihuringa.

ngā tāngata mate.

ngā whānau.

te wāheke.

ko Matariki he wā mō he hararei roa.

he hautapu nui.

ngā whanaungatanga.

ngā hoa.

ko Matariki he wā mō he whakatakoto kaupapa.

ngā pātai.

ngā reta ki te kāwanatanga.

ngā petihana.

e hiahia ana o mātou

ngā kaupapa o te Matariki

ia rā.

kāore ki tahi rā anake

i he tau.

[Matariki

Matariki is a time for reflection.

the dead.

family.

the future.

Matariki is a time for  a  l  o  n  g  holiday.

a massive feast.

relationships.

friends.

Matariki is a time for planning.

questions.

petitions.

letters to the government.

we need

the themes of Matariki

every day.

not just for one day

in a year.]

Vaughan Rapatahana (Te Ātiawa) commutes between homes in Hong Kong, Philippines, and Aotearoa New Zealand. He is widely published across several genre in both his main languages, te reo Māori and English and his work has been translated into Bahasa Malaysia, Italian, French, Mandarin, Romanian, Spanish.