As I sat silent and still, I wondered what I might become. Slowly, I burst from below as my roots stretched further into the soil. I looked up to see wonderous, thick and hard looking trees as little versions of me. I continued to sit still and be patient. Years must have passed as I grew taller and taller and bigger. Spotted with yellow and shimmering gold, birds flew around me. As my flowers dropped and so did my seeds, little children started to grow. Energetically the plants grew. I felt tired and old. My bumpy truck was feeling very fragile. As I fell over, I closed my eyes and listened to the pitter patter of the rain and the sweet melodies from the birds. As I watched the saplings grow strong and thick, others shaded the forest with their green leaves. I rotted away as new seedlings grew around me.
As I sat silent and still, I wondered what I might become.
Sunlight Shining, just waiting for my time to come.
The earth is breathing, telling me its time.
The soil breaking above me I felt instant joy.
The summer air on my stem.
Everyday I feel more achievement than I’ve ever been.
I’m getting stronger as the days go on, my brothers together helping me more and more.
As time goes by and being so tall, I’m still scared, but the resilience in me is pushing me harder and harder.
The higher I go, the more I know this is the best life I’m ever going to have.
Birds singing in my ears, as I look down waiting for a new tree to sprout, and for me and my brothers to help it.
With gratitude to the tamiriki (children) of Te Kura o Paetūmokai (Featherston School), South Wairarapa, Aotearoa NZ and artist Jenny Keate
Below is writing produced through a workshop process with Rod Sugden and Jane Riddiford. As part of the Ruamāhanga Mauri Oho project, Rod and Jane supported tamariki from Te Kura O Paetūmkai to plant native trees and grasses beneath the forest giants of Waihenga bush and in the wetland restoration at Ruamāhanga Farm. Along with conservation skills, the tamariki learnt to slow down, look, listen and share what is important to them through art, written and spoken word.
Here are two paintings by artist Jenny Keate, from her exhibition ‘Looking Sideways’, incorporating the children’s words. Jenny explores the relationship between humans and trees and these paintings speak to the story of the community supporting the whenua (land) along the edges of the Ruamāhanga river. It has been a process of generational growth that kaumata (Māori elder) Wiremu Dawson describes as whakatipuranga.
Echoing the call-and-response style of birdsong, young people working with London based environmental education charity, Global Generation will use the art work and writing from the young people in Aotearoa as a stimulus to produce art and written responses. Watch this space.
Ruamāhanga Mauri oho will host a family planting on September 9th - the River of Hope day and work with the children to create land art by the Ruamāhanga river; email hello@ruamahanga.org.nz for more information.
As I sat silent and still, I wondered what I might become. Slowly I came out of the ground and sprouted. I saw all the other trees around me and slowly my yellow flowers blossomed, and I towered over every other tree near me. Then birds started taking pollen from my flowers and spreading it around the place. And I was later named a Kowhai.
As I sat silent and still, I wondered what I might become. The elders providing shade from the scorching sun and blanketing me from the bitter cold and shivering rain. With me sleeping, wondering how long it would take – Days? Weeks? Years? Centuries? Weeks passed I am a sapling now. Still waiting. Time has gone by quickly. Like a watery………
As I sat silent and still, I wondered what I might become. Slowly, I grew roots and started to sprout up through the soil. I pushed. Patient with the potential to become a towering giant, giving shade to the creatures that live in the undergrowth and homes to those who fly and soar up in the sky. I was a Totara. Tiny, but waiting forever, waiting for the time when I would grow to be as tall as my ancestors.
By Jonah