Ahaka he iti pounamu Although it is small it is greenstone

by Louise Wallace

I choose pounamu

it is a river stone

she was of the earth

she was orchids in the hothouse

less difficult than her husband

fruit trees

their hard graft

plums

nectarines

a child we never spoke of

another a castaway

I choose to plant my legs

to ground them

I am the child of which we won’t speak

I am the castaway

I am orchids

fruit trees

I can bear more than you think

I am a river stone

and I choose a ring made of pounamu

to remind me