We Are Closed

Closed for the night
Closed by fog and mist
Closed by strong winds
Closed by gates
Closed for the weekend
Closed for the duration
Closed by seismic activity
Closed by Rūamoko
Closed by bushfires
Closed by the fiery fingers of Mahuika
Closed till Christmas
Closed until next year
Closed until the sale of conservation land goes through
Closed until the Coalition Government decides otherwise

David Eggleton

David Eggleton lives in Ōtepoti Dunedin and is a former New Zealand Poet Laureate. His Respirator: A Laureate Collection 2019 -2022 was published by Otago University Press in 2023. He has contributed to Koe: An Aotearoa ecopoetry anthology, edited by Janet Newman and Robert Sullivan (Otago University Press, 2024), and No Other Place to Stand: an anthology of climate change poetry from Aotearoa New Zealand, edited by Jordan Hamel, Rebecca Hawkes, Erik Kennedy and Essa May Ranapiri, (Auckland University Press, 2022).

“The alarm bells should be be ringing loudly in your ears, as our Public conservation is under serious threat by the current government. The Conservation Amendment Bill 2026 represents a direct assault on New Zealand’s back country heritage, threatening to strip away long standing safeguards and clear the way for a massive sell off or commercial development of up to 60% of our public land.” Hiking NZ

Another sizzling simmering wonderful week of poetry delight and connections.

I spotted David Eggleton’s poem online and got musing and caring even more about all the things a Government could and must do to care for people and planet.

Meanwwhile I’ve been musing on how to get Poetry Box sizzling and simmering – a place where children taste the rewards of playing with words, a place to share my love of picture books for children, along with fiction and nonfiction, and especially poetry for and by children. I am still musing!

And thank you for responding to my poem invitation last weekend – I will be reading and replying this week.

An invitation: This week an invitation to choose a poetry book published in Aotearoa in 2026 that you have loved. Write a paragraph sharing why. Send to me by Jun 27th. I will post some on Poetry Shelf. paulajoygreen@gmail.com

Monday: Poetry Shelf Monday Poem: ‘All we have is the urupa’ by Hana Pera Aoake

Tuesday: Poetry Shelf Playing Favourites: Erik Kennedy picks Jane Arthur

Wednesday: Poetry Shelf Speaking Out To For With: Food as a Weapon by Sheila Hadstone

Thursday: Poetry Shelf Playing Favourites: Morrin Rout chooses Dinah Hawken

Friday: Poetry Shelf celebrates Landfall Tauraka 251 with nine readings