Poetry for the People

Jacob Scott stands and raises his hands toward the ceiling of the marae.

“Eh Maui!” he shouts. “What do you see here? When you see us, just waiting around?”

He pauses. Rocking on his heels. Thinking on his feet.

“What’s it gonna be Maui? What are you gonna do about this …this …this New Zealand poetry thing? How are you gonna keep it strong?”

There’s a break in his voice on the word “strong” that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. There’s a charge in the air. A sense of challenge.

“Well I guess that’s your question for us, right Maui?”

Scott looks round at the crowd for half a second before he grins.

“What are we gonna do about it?”

Scott’s biennial check-in with Maui happens 20 minutes south of Napier, at Matahiwi Marae, on each occasion a New Zealand poet laureate is inaugurated. This time it’s David Eggleton, New Zealand’s 12th laureate since the role was created 25 years ago. It’s a bright, cold, Saturday morning at the start of autumn, with everyone wrapped up warm.

Matahiwi is a green marae built in honour of Maui, the innovator. After the blessing there are sandwiches and cups of tea. Outside are fields full of the last