Kawakawa dreams of a time when the forest returns

​she is patient
she holds her ground
& she waits

she provides homes for insects
she feeds birds who visit her
& in return they bring her other’s seeds

which fall to the ground beneath her

​seedlings grow
under her & around her
​over her & above her

so she recedes
becomes the forest floor
nourishing as she yields

& in a clearing at the edge of the forest a tiny black seed knows it’s time . . .

I have donated Kawakawa Dreaming to an Art & Creative Auction which is raising money to be donated to the Red Cross Australia Fire Relief fund.

The auction is being organised by Ruth Ribeaucourt & will be held on Instagram at Ruth's account @Ruthribeaucourt. I’m going to suggest you follow this link to her page for the latest event update.
The auction is scheduled to run between Jan 10th to Jan 12th 2020.
​
Currently, approximately 250 creatives, from 25 countries, have donated works or services.

It feels good to part of a global event which has the potential to make a difference on the ground (pun intended) &, also to know Kawakawa's dreams can come true.

Please support in what ever way you able

Arohanui
Sal x 

Yesterday I wandered around home in the late afternoon sun, taking photos of various flowering plants which define spring in our NZ native garden. 

Of course our birds are a little cray-cray right now (it’s the season), insects are abundant & the warm afternoon means the air is filled with the sweet honey like perfumes of night opening, moth pollinated flowers. 

Most NZ native trees are not deciduous, not all of them flower during the day & they are not dependant on bees for pollination. 
In addition, not all of them are spring flowering.

Today, despite the weather yet again taking a turn back to winter, let's celebrate NZ spring flowering plants & the abundant, diverse insect life with whom they live & thrive. 

They are mostly not showy; often teeny, tiny flowers & you will need to slow down, let your nose lead you & look closely . . . 

I challenge anyone who lives in Aotearoa/ NZ to go see how many of these plants you can find in your area - or look for ones specific to your own area. 

a gift of basalt waited for a year
under his tree
after his passing

now formed into a beautiful vessel
a place for water to swirl
or to contain fire as Lou himself would have done

para planted in the gully to the west
kahikatea planted in the gully to the east

kōwhai in a row
one for each of us
signifying home

pūriri timber
rescued from the firewood pile
shaped & sanded into a landform

remembering a time past
layers below where we now walk
​
sawdust
a strong & pungent signature of the tree
unexpectedly a soft yellow
​strangely unlike it's own flowers
or leaves
or bark

mixed with water & gently heated
immersing a few fibres
exploring the possibility of colour

a fortuitous find of an historic article
with scant reference to altering the pH
by rolling in ash

hesitantly adding the ash water
& immediately falling in love

celebrating a new found knowledge
heart heavy with the absence of our friend
unable to share in person the joy & the triumph

forever grateful
despite the brevity
for a truely magical friendship

waiata of farewell
floating languidly on the wind