I "Heart" Port Waikato

Port Waikato

Yesterday I posted a few photos of Port Waikato on my blog under the heading "Cool Places", and the river mouth and the beach are very cool. But the community there are even cooler. The Port is a small place, with a population of approximately 400, but after the February 22nd earthquake in Christchurch they got together and organised themselves—under the umbrella "Lyttelton, We Care" —to fundraise for Lyttelton—a port community helping a port community.

And they've raised $10,000.

Very impressive, huh, for a small community of 400?

To me, this is the sort of community spirit, not just local community but New Zealand community, that has been the the only silver lining of the post earthquake situation. And on Friday evening I got to share wine and pizza with the "Lyttelton, We Care" committee, to talk a little bit about the current situation in Christchurch, and have a great time with a great bunch of people who have put their hands up to "heart" Lyttelton—and given both time and money to achieve a fantastic result.

I also shared several of my poems from the new Earthquake Witness sequence: Indifferent Planet; All Over; The Sparrows, and Allow Me To Say … If you would like to read these or other poems in the Earthquake Witness sequence you can find them here.