Land of Clouds

I came to this place from far away, so far that it slips into sleep. 

A cloud land on the edge of the earth called us from beyond the horizon, so I left the place I had always known, where the water was warm and small fish had tickled and nibbled at my toes.

Loved ones smiled and waved and dressed me in flowers.  Days later I wore them still, even though they had withered, for the sea offers few memories of land and I wanted something to remind me that I had once walked upon the ground.  Floating coconuts, the lone trunk of a tree, such things stopped appearing and then we saw nothing, nothing but those things of the sea and of the sky. 

We were the only things of the land; a few reckless dreamers making slow progress towards that line which never grew closer, the line dividing the sea from the sky.

There are two mighty canoes, we travel side by side, lashed together, a platform between two, which I love to lie on, when the water is still enough to allow it.

I look into the depths and watch the changing colours, an occasional eye meets mine, perhaps that of a predator.  I have no fear for if I die at least I have been out in the world and seen that there is so much more than me.

At night I lie with Kupe, wrapped together in our cloaks of feathers, and look up at brilliant lights in the sky.  We speak of how we might travel there one day.  The others tut at our love talk, but I know they feel as we do, that we are part of the legend of life, that in the moment we look up, the lights look down and wish they were with us on the sea.

There is plenty of food in the sea, there are monsters too.   Great weke of immense size and wisdom.  They travel on solemn business, none of ours.

We collect water from the sky when it falls, it always tastes of the sea.  I crave fresh water more than anything, that and the tang of fruit, and the sweet smell of flowers.

Kupe drives us relentlessly, we must paddle, paddle, paddle.  We do not speak as we work, we find a rhythm which pleases the mind as well as the body and the dreams in my head satisfy my need for story.  Sometimes I sing the songs from home, but I stop if I see tears rising in the eyes of others, that is foolish thinking, we must not think of that place behind us until we turn and make it our destination.

For now there is no destination, we move forward to see if there is anything that stops the sea, we may go on forever, or at least until we die.

Kupe looks at the horizon with fire in his eyes and then looks at me in laughter, we can do anything, and if we can’t?  So what?

I have looked ahead for so long I can read the sea, I know long before they reach us when mountainous waves are approaching.  We bind ourselves to the canoes at these times and wait to see if we will drown or be broken by the mighty fists of the sea.  Somehow we are still here.

Today the sea is calm.  Birds fly with us, fish jump out of the water around us, a school of porpoises escort us and I sense something auspicious in the air.  I see white clouds in the distance and call to the others,

"He ao he ao! He aotea! He aotearoa!"