Room 5 Poetry

Poetry

Here are some of the amazing poems we have written about the great kauri tree - Tane Mahuta - which is found in the Waipoua forest north of Tamaki Makaurau.  

Parents please get your children to read theirs to you if they haven't already done so at conferences.  

We'd love your comments about these.

We have been learning about the devices poets use such as:
                   similes, metaphors and personification.
We have tried to use these in our poems which also describe our feelings about this great tree.

Tane Mahuta

by Jack D

Our god, he talks to me,

While staring over his family,

His hands flail in the frozen wind,

He is my Tohunga,

Giving me my answers,

He is thinking of Aotearoa,

Like it used be,

You fill a hole in my heart,

But when you die,

I will die with you.  

Tane Mahuta, Kauri Tree Poem

By Hamish

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Tane sits there, growing wiser year by year…                               

He grows weary as time passes…

His life force relies on Tane Mahuta, god of the forest…

Only his breathing, and all the leaves swaying and the birds disturb the unnatural silence…

Each day, each hour, each minute, each second he takes care of the forest…

He lives with nature, as he has for 2500 years…

He watches as the world around him change…

He breathes, each breath he takes is as strong as a hurricane…

He lives in peace in Aotearoa…

He is as ancient as the world,

ancient as the azure sky,

ancient as the universe…

His branch-like arms scrape against the blue sky, angering Ranginui...

He is your only father… our only father...

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Tane Mahuta

By Frances

Sleeping in the woods lies a growing tree

His name is full of secrets

He tells ancient stories about his mysterious past

He guards his world and protects his loving subjects

His voice is as deep as the ocean floor

He welcomes good iwi to his city

He fights the evil away from his kind

He is a treasure to his world

He takes care of his people

But this disease is letting him down

So just let him have at least one victory!

Tāne Mahuta

by Berenger

Leaves fly,

Scattered bark, mountains of it,

Sweeping the forest floor of pests,

Overlooking the country,

Encouraging his children to grow,

Welcoming good-doers in,

Into his forest of wonder,

Whispering the right choices to make,

Smacking mischief-makers,

Not the innocent ones,

Fighting the dieback,

Swivelling around to check, like a hawk,

Roots searching for water, water,

To help feed this guardian,

If he dies, we are all vulnerable,

And unable to make some medicines,

He’s not supernatural,

He’s natural,

His talent,

Nature, nature,

Fending his brothers off,

One by one,

Teaching the ones who deserve his knowledge,

To be passed on to others,

Let him win this war,

Just this once,

Tāne māhuta.

by Hana

Tāne, the warrior, the fighter, the saver.

Tane is a god,

He is a superhero.

He is the king of all trees.

Gazing over his children,

watching like a hawk.

Tāne Māhuta will never stop fighting.

The Waipoua Tree
by Damar

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He’s the wise and ancient

Proud and tall he overlooks his forest

His tamariki are surrounding the precious god                  

He protects the greenland day after day

As time passes by his eyes starts to change

While fighting the dieback

He guards the rows of bushes and trees

Then silence come  

And birds are chirping and soaring through the air.           

The wind swirls and rustles the leaves

Then….  Whispers in the shadows a karakia

He is the caretaker

He is the father of the forest

He is great

And he is Tane, the tree of NZ.                                                                                 

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by Rhys

 I stand in front of Tane Mahuta as he towers over me.

He welcomes me with his big waving arms.

I can hear him slowly breathing.

His children crowding around him.

Standing in pain as Kauri Dieback tries to take over his body.

The tall ancestor as big as the sky tower.

Trying to save the forests without moving a muscle.

He  quietly moans about how we have ruined the forest.

Tane Mahuta is the guardian of all forests.

Tane Mahuta

by Jackson

When the light rises Tane stands there tall.

The strongest of them all.

Looking over the hills.

One of the oldest trees standing there.

Doing the haka to survive.

Teaching all the young plants around him to grow strong.

Getting older every day.

Welcoming all the people that came all over earth to see him.

Branches as strong as bones.

It is like he is our great great great granddad.

Our greatest and oldest father.

Our amazing god

 by Sybilla

He sways

He does the haka

He sings a song with pride

He welcomes me into the  forest

He takes care of us

He is a chief

He heals me

He looks like a warrior

He makes me happy

He stands proud

He protects me

I bow to him and he bows back

Tane Mahuta

by Evie H

His arms stretched wide welcoming you

Eyes staring at you.

Trunk as strong as steel protecting all.

Young tamariki hiding in his shadows

He’s like an ancient statue standing with pride.

An ancestor as old and wise as the earth itself.

He has seen many things others haven’t.

He has pain that comes from kauri dieback, cutting into his heart.

His leaves fly swirling in the wind.