Hopurangi—Songcatcher: Poems from the Maramataka

By Robert Sullivan

After rejoining social media, Robert Sullivan wrote and posted a poem a day over two and a half months the poems collected in Hopurangi— Songcatcher. Inspired by the cyclical energies of the Maramataka, these poems see the poet re-finding himself and his world in the matauranga of his kuia from the Ngati Hau and Ngati Kaharau hapu of Ngapuhi; in his mother' s stories from his Ngati Manu hapu at Karetu; in the singing and storytelling at Puketeraki Marae, home of his father' s people of Kati Huirapa, Kati Mamoe, Waitaha and Kai Tahu Whanui in Te Tai o Araiteuru; and in the fellowship of friends on Facebook. Tihei mauri ora!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Independent Publishers Group
• Release date: May 9, 2024
• ISBN: 9781776711321

Robert Sullivan

Robert Sullivan is the author of Rats, The Meadowlands, A Whale Hunt, and most recently, The Thoreau You Don't Know. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, New York, A Public Space and Vogue, where he is a contributing editor. He was born in Manhattan and now lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Book preview

Front Cover of Hopurangi—SongcatcherHalf Title of Hopurangi—SongcatcherBook Title of Hopurangi—Songcatcher

First published 2024

Auckland University Press

Waipapa Taumata Rau

University of Auckland

Private Bag 92019

Auckland 1142

New Zealand

www.aucklanduniversitypress.co.nz

© Robert Sullivan, 2024

ISBN 978 1 776 71 132 1

Published with the assistance of Creative New Zealand

A catalogue record for this book is available from the National Library of New Zealand.

This book is copyright. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior permission of the publisher. The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

Design and cover art by Breeze Durham

I dedicate this book to my father, Bob Conlon, and his brothers and sisters who have passed away. They’re with Nana Sarah and Grandad Paddy now.

Contents

Introduction

Before the Maramataka

Pāua Canticle

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Machine

Pupurangi Shelley

The Paper Chase

Maramataka

All the Phases: Lunar Eclipse

Mutuwhenua: Te Awa e Rere Nei

Mutuwhenua: Mauri Ora Kāretu

Whiro: ‘I went alone to the Taj Mahal’

Whiro: ‘The trees across State Highway 1’

Tirea: ‘I was wondering why’

Hoata: ‘Today’s rain is like television static’

Ōuenuku: Mauri Ora

Ōuenuku: Pukamata

Ōuenuku: Anei Anō he Rā

Okoro: ‘I had a cat once’

Tamatea Āio: ‘And yes it is a peaceful morning’

Tamatea a Ngana: ‘I saw a spider abseil’

Tamatea Kai-ariki: ‘The pūrerehua walk under’

Tamatea Kai-ariki: After Talking to Jane

Tamatea Tūhāhā: ‘Last evening’

Ariroa: ‘In your tūpuna whare’

Huna: ‘I opened a box’

Mawharu: ‘My basement got flooded’

Ōhua: ‘Wet nosed’

Atua Whakahaehae: Alta Forte

Atua Whakahaehae: Keening

Turu: ‘Just last week’

Turu: My Funny Shoeshine Starling

Rākaunui: Maranga Mai

Rākaumatohi: ‘Ka rongo au i ngā manu’

Rākaumatohi: E Hoa

Takirau: A Butter Lamp

Oike: ‘Marama sits up in the west’

Korekore Tuatahi: Rom Coms

Korekore Rawea: Karakia

Korekore Whakapiri: Recycling

Tangaroa-ā-mua: ‘I slept under Puketohunoa Pā’

Tangaroa-ā-roto: Star River

Tangaroa Whakapau: ‘I was getting a lift’

Tangaroa Whāriki Kiokio: ‘Another grey day’

Tangaroa Whāriki Kiokio: ‘I have never emptied’

Tangaroa Whāriki Kiokio: You’ll Get an Email from Me

Ōtāne: ‘Virtue signalling in a time of Covid’

Ōtāne: Second Coffee

Ōrongonui: ‘Breezy vibes’

Ōrongonui: The Corrections

Ōmutu: ‘Some strange-looking insects’

Mutuwhenua: The Whole World

Whiro: ‘I drove home last night’

Whiro: Waiata Whakaharatau

Tirea: ‘Ko Āraiteuru te waka’

Hoata: ‘Today at Ngāi Tahu Hui-ā-Iwi’

Ōuenuku: ‘I tried playing my kōauau’

Ōuenuku: Hine Raukatauri

Okoro: ‘The star river’

Okoro: Honouring Words

Tamatea Āio: The Best Hours

Tamatea Āio: Āio ki te Rangi / Rave On

Tamatea a Ngana: ‘Four kinds of akeake’

Tamatea a Ngana: Kōauau——Te Wāhi Ngaro

Tamatea a Ngana: Two Questions

Tamatea Kai-ariki: ‘Three birds flew from me’

Tamatea Kai-ariki: He Iti Pounamu

Tamatea Tūhāhā: ‘The last time we saw each other’

Ariroa: When Great Trees Rise

Huna: My Own Personal Marama

Mawharu: ‘A respite from low-energy days’

Ōhua: A Short Short Fiction

Atua Whakahaehae: Chains

Turu: From My Sunroom

Rākaunui: Shakti Card Opening

Rākaunui: He Whenua Manu

Rākaumatohi: ‘The house shadow’

Takirau: Uku Rere

Oike: 177 Years

Korekore Tuatahi: ‘I bought the chart’

Korekore Rawea: Q+A From a Shakti Card

Korekore Whakapiri: ‘I threaded the eye’

Tangaroa-ā-mua: Ranginui

Tangaroa-ā-roto: ‘I bought a book’

Tangaroa Whakapau: ‘After checking my FB posts’

Tangaroa Whāriki Kiokio: Super

Tangaroa Whāriki Kiokio: Puddles

Tangaroa Whāriki Kiokio: Calling

Ōtāne: ‘I need to plant the akeake’

Ōtāne: Songcatcher

Ōtāne: Feeding the Birds of the World

Ōrongonui: Petals

Ōmutu: Rākaihautū

Mutuwhenua: Light Therapy

Whiro: Poi Āwhiowhio Thought

Tirea: Mooring Day

Hoata: Seek Kai Knowledge

Ōuenuku: Mā te Mahitahi o ngā Kairaranga

Ōuenuku: Aoraki

Okoro: ‘Come closer to me’

Tamatea Āio: Redux

Tamatea a Ngana: Kia Tūpato

Tamatea a Ngana: Huia

Tamatea Kai-ariki: Tautoko

Tamatea Kai-ariki: ‘When Nana was in hospital’

Tamatea Tūhāhā: Keep Learning

Tamatea Tūhāhā: ‘After writing this poem’

Ariroa: ‘The Maramataka website today’

Huna: Three Poems from This Morning

Mawharu: Ngā Rā

Ōhua: Tāhae Jack, Te Tangata Nui and His Beanstalk

Atua Whakahaehae: