A Canoe in Midstream: Poems New & Old

by Apirana Taylor

This fifth volume of poetry from a beloved New Zealand troubadour includes new work and some old favorites, including "Sad Joke on a Marae" and "Coca-Cola Jesus and Mitsubishi Mary." Taylor's poems vary in tone, from rage to quiet meditation, and unusual layouts of letters and words are used to visually enhance his themes. Explored topics include nature and landscape, love and war, poverty and racism, and the poet's Maori ancestry.

Genres: Poetry

168 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2010

Reviews

[Samantha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think he's a good poet, a handful of poems in the collection I really enjoyed. The only reason for my low star rating was because most of the poems weren't for me, but that's not to say it's a bad collection.

Here are a couple poems I enjoyed:

_ a great seamstress _

flying fish thread themselves
into the sea

a flock of gulls stitches itself
across the horizon

blanket stitching the earth and sky
together

God's a great seamstress
and painter

working on the ever-changing tapestry
of night and day

with colours threading
the weave of the sun's rays amid the clouds

the sky with the blanket of the sea
and the rich fields of corn

with the textures of the moon

_ all saints day _

he lights the candles
the names are called

in memory of the dead

she remembers
her friend and lover

tears fall from her eyes

two women wrap her
in their arms

beyond the mountains
deeper than the sea

the way is found within.