Origins

Born in a time of war,
I rose at dawn to watch
troop ships gather
in Wellington Harbour.

I come
from pressed uniforms,
boarding schools, the smell
of pipe tobacco.

I come
from Hail Marys and Paternosters,
fragrance of incense, the smack
of a strap.

I come
from the pungency of green needles,
sitting quiet in the crown of a pine tree.

I come
from moonlight, appassionata and
a passion for the music of Beethoven.

I come
from a chatter-box kid
and the cut and thrust of argument

I return
by the chatter, the music,
the tree and the discipline,
to the quiet harbour.

Peter Rawnsley
from Paper Cups (forthcoming Marmac Media)

Adrienne Jansen:

I’ve been reading the third collection of poems by Peter Rawnsley. Peter’s second collection was published by Cuba Press, who describe him on their website as ‘one of Aotearoa’s best-kept secrets.’ I agree, he’s a much under-recognised poet. He combines a sharp intellect, a wide reading base – particularly in science – a love of the natural world, a love of music, and a thoughtful Catholic faith. That’s a big spread.

And that’s why I chose his poem ‘Origins’, which opens his forthcoming collection. It’s a down-to-earth poem, that doesn’t have some of the imaginative leaps and mystery of some of his other work, but it draws together each aspect of his life in that succinct way that poetry can. Form is very important to Peter, and his choice of three 4-line stanzas, three 3-line stanzas, then one last 4-line stanza, will be careful and deliberate. I often don’t pay much attention to form, so it’s always interesting to see this unobtrusive but careful use of form. And of course the poem returns to where it began.

I’ve also been reading Pakiaka, which is the first volume of poetry from Gabrielle Huria (Ngāi Tūāhuriri/Ngāi Tahu). It’s one of those small beautifully produced books of poetry which feels like a gift. There’s a long poem in it called ‘How to Be a Good Ngāi Tahu.’ Rather than describe it, I’m going to include a couple of excerpts here. But go and find the whole thing. Read the whole book.

“Know your kai, how to get it, where to get it, how to work it, how
to store it, and how to cook it.

Have a freezer packed with kai.

Have much more kai than you need just in case a relation calls,
in which case over-feed them with everything you’ve gather.

Be ready to make a big feed 24/7 – there’s no such thing as a
snack.”

“Have rights to a tītī island.

If you don’t have rights, marry someone who has.

If you can’t do that, have a standing annual order with a birder
for a few buckets.

On the island if you have rights, you have a say.

If you married into the rights, keep your mouth shut – just do the work.

Don’t be a slacker every anywhere, especially not on the island.

Ngāi Tahu know how to work.

Lazy Ngāi Tahu must be half something else, probably from
the north.”

Gabrielle Huria
from Pakiaka, Canterbury University Press, 2025

Adrienne Jansen writes poetry, fiction and non-fiction for both adults and children. She’s published several collections of poetry, and is the co-founder of Landing Press, a small Wellington publisher of poetry that many people can enjoy. In 2026 they are working on an anthology of poems about water. She lives at Tītahi Bay, north of Wellington.

Peter Rawnsley is a retired public servant living in Porirua, New Zealand. Paper Cups, his third collection, will be published by Marmac Media, July 2026. He has also published Light Cones (Mākaro Press 2018) and Stones & Kisses (Cuba Press 2024.)

Gabrielle Huria is Ngāi Tūāhuriri/Ngāi Tahu. She lives with her extended whānau at Tuahiwi in North Canterbury. Gabrielle is a keen practitioner of Ngāi Tahu mahinga kai (traditional food gathering). Her collection of poems Pakiaka is part family chronicle and part a settling of accounts – a depiction of being Ngāi Tahu in a modern world.