FOURTEEN

O Kaulaiku

 

TASI	LUA	TOLU
Let’s go into the forest	I’m afraid.	I’m not afraid.
There are cacao trees with sweet seeds to taste. There are breadfruit trees, which means baking of course. There are plump birds who sing so sweetly you can almost hear them saying, Yes, dear …
There are tiresome vines, and battlements. There are old land mines, with the imperalists’ complements. There are shattered trees and giant stinging bees.	I’m afraid of dying. I’m afraid of arguments. I’m afraid of mailing postcards. I’m afraid of seeing treetops. I’m afraid of. I’m afraid of.	I’m not afraid of anything. Except when someone is standing in the distance. I’m very afraid of seeing someone standing in the distance. I’m afraid of that.
And beyond is an old temple.
	I know the place.	I don’t know the place.
	It’s forbidden.	Let’s go.
It’s really just a clearing.
	It’s evil.
They used to dance there long ago.
	They ate people!
That’s not true. I don’t think it’s true.		Well they stopped didn’t they?
Oh, let’s go.		Oh, let’s go.
Tonight.
	No.	No.
	We should finish husking these coconuts.	It might be fun up there.
I’m done.	I’m afraid I’m not done.	I’m done.
Let’s wait here under this tree.	It’s getting dark.
I can hear the ocean waves.	I can hear the ocean waves.	I can hear flying fish.
	What’s that there?
It’s my grandparents’ tombstone. They were buried together. If you stand here at midnight, you can hear them singing their hymns. They were a serious couple.
	I don’t want to hear them singing.	I heard someone singing yesterday.
It’s dark enough now.	Let’s go back.	Let’s go.
Follow me.
	It’s so dark up here. Darker than I thought it might.
We’re far enough to raise a light. I brought a lamp.	Where are your matches? It’s awful dark here.	Something big and wet is on my foot.
There. Now we can see the trail well enough.	The light doesn’t make me feel better.	It’s just a toad.
	The forest doesn’t look better by lamplight.
Can you hear the forest?	You say that like it’s a person.	It’s beautiful.
It is a person.		I can hear the forest talking.
Follow me.	I have to be home by a certain time.
Quiet.		I can see the moon.
Let me blow out the light.	It doesn’t look quite right does it?
Wait.		The moon is so big. So big it looks like it’s falling.
	It is falling!
The moon is falling.		The moon is falling.
Hold hands!	The moon is falling.	The moon is falling.
Circle. Circle. Circle.	The air is turning round with bats.	The moon is here.
Circle. Circle. Circle.	The bats are everywhere around.	The moon! The moon!
Circle. Circle. Circle.	Circle. Circle. Circle.	The moon!

 

            DAN TAULAPAPA MCMULLIN