Aria

Where is my tongue? On display, a trophy of war.
Where is my tikanga? Kept in the basement.
Where is my mana? Locked in the museum.
And where are my whanau? Scattered like dandelion seeds, from the grating city, to the harnessed horizon.
Drawing moko kauae on Barbies.
Reading Ranginui Walker in rahui.
Spitting on the statue of Captain Cook.

Aria is a first collection of poems by Jessica Hinerangi in which the author reconnects with her tupuna and with te ao Maori. He kakano ahau i ruia mai i Rangiatea a, ka tipu tonu. Tihei, mauri ora!

Jessica Hinerangi Thompson Carr is of Ngati Ruanui, Ngaruahine, Ngapuhi and Pakeha descent. Born in Otepoti, she has a degree in English and art history with a masters in Maori ekphrastic poetry. She is a poet, journalist and illustrator, working primarily on Instagram under the name @maori_mermaid. Her previous work has appeared in Landfall, Starling, The Big Idea and The Pantograph Punch.

Format: Paperback
Imprint: Auckland University Press
Publication date: 13/07/2023