New Zealand Poetry Society Te Hunga Tito Ruri o Aotearoa
Hurry -- Robin Fry
quick
kiss him before the agave blooms
before the Mistral blows
kiss him before the tea gardens
are laid waste
before the Aral Sea dries up
& the Gulf Stream disappears
kiss him before the blind white
salamander vanishes
& all the hidden caves are mapped
kiss him before the village weavers
finish the rug
before the troubadour's song ends
kiss him as the musicians tune
their long-necked sitars
while wild horses still roam free
kiss him before the Sirocco blows
before the Second Coming
before you're too old
kiss him before a third world war
breaks out
*
make up earth mother & sky father
forget your ancient grievances
follow him in the footprints
of the snow leopard
kiss him on your highest mountain top
Robin Fry
Petone
1st place
