Kay McKenzie Cooke | Poet, Novelist & Writer from New Zealand

Today’s WordPress prompt: What Countries Do You Want To Visit?

birthright

Not countries so much as suburbs here in Ōtepoti.

I’m half Scottish according to my DNA profile, so it’s no wonder I have a yen to go to Scotland (again). Nearly fifty years ago, in 1978, Robert and I lived there for some months – working in Tobermory, Isle of Mull and at Aviemore. We also both have ancestors that hail from Ireland and England.

Memorial library, Tuatapere – the town where I was born (not far from where this library, built as a memorial to soldiers who died in the First World War, is situated).

But as it happens, I was born in a land far from the Northern hemisphere and am a descendant of tangata whenua (which translates as ‘people of the land’) the Māori wāhine Mōtoitoi and her Scottish husband William Dallas from Islay.

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boil-ups

Another WordPress prompt I saw the other day asked a question that went something like – What is the Oldest Thing You Still Use? I immediately thought of this old pot / saucepan that dates back to the 1950’s – ’60’s and which we inherited from Robert’s grandparents.

I still use it for boil-ups and dishes such as this pumpkin soup I made the other day.

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bright lights

Matariki tree with albatross …

signifying the Matariki Public Holiday, plus Midwinter Carnival images, in the Golden Centre – Meridian Mall – a co-joined group of shops that make up Ōtepoti Dunedin’s one and only (I’m proud to say) mall. I appreciate this indoor shopping centre’s unique character (and that perfumed hit from the Lush shop which is always a real treat for the olfactory senses).

Signifying the stars of the Matariki (Pleiades) cluster. Down south we also take special note of the rising star we call Puaka (in European skies it is known as Rigel).

combination display denoting both the lanterns of the Midwinter Carnival and Matariki

A down-town graffiti artist or tagger’s work? Not always appreciated, but I was rather taken by how much this particular grey wall had been brightened up. In winter the eye notices these bright spots.

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brighton

Coffee meet-ups with friends are always a highlight – especially when they are pleasant surprises like when our friend got in touch this week and we made arrangements to pick him up and go have a coffee at the little cafe in Brighton, an Ōtepoti suburb that sits by Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa / the Pacific Ocean. A little bit of winter cheer in the middle of a ten-day run of overcast, wet weather.

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books

My friend Mary’s book – looking forward to reading this recently launched poetry book by author and publisher, Mary McCallum.

And another book I’m looking forward to, The Good Father by Liam McIlvanney. We went to the launch of this book that is set to go on a whirlwind tour, along with its author, stopping off at selected venues in Australia, Scotland, Ireland, England and Hong Kong! Good to be present at this book’s launching pad and to wish it and its author, Liam, all the very best as they rocket off into the book-o-sphere.

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birds

Today on a walk in the sun with a friend, we spotted a grey heron admiring its reflection.

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READING: Catching up on kōrero pukapuka, magazines Te Karaka and Te Pānui Rūnaka

WRITING: Working on my slow-going memories for a work I’m calling Living Example.

MUSIC: The Chicks

11th Letter In

Bright Spots