Ngā manu huna a Tāne: the hidden birds of Tāne
I remember the call of the bird from the radioMorning Report began with the cry of a bird rarely seenI have never seen one wildTe manu huna a TāneTāne's hidden bird Upon its feetThick like buttress rootsIt shuffles its nightly walkAloneIt pokes beneath the leaves for a mealChitinous and crawling Occasionally the kiwi will cock its head backOpen its beak to screamAnd it is like a screamNot the sweet song of bellbirdsBut a call for companyand solitude The question of course is which Tāne Hid the bird betterTāne Mahuta? The one who woke her only at nightAnd burrowed her during the dayOr ngā tāne, ngā tāngata, ngā Pākehā?the ones who hid her inMuseum storage Does the bird cry out for a mateOr for help? ---Tāne Mahuta: Māori atua/deity of forests, birds, and lightNgā tāne: the menTāngata: peoplePākehā: European settlers, and their descendants