South Coast Poets Out Loud
Fresh new poetry and writing brought to you by the South Coast Writers Centre.
Season 6 features poems from 34-37 Degrees South Poetry Anthology for 2025 on the theme 'Words / No Words'.
Season 5 features poems shortlisted in the 2025 South Coast Writers Centre Awards as well as readings from Temple - the 2024 anthology of writing.
Season 3 features poets from the anthology 34-37 Degrees South - Signs 2024. Season 2 features poets shortlisted for the South Coast Writers Centre Poetry Awards 2024. Season 1 features poets from the anthology - 34-37 Degrees South - Country 2023.
All these works are brought to you by the South Coast Writers Centre celebrating 30 years of great writing in 2025 - southcoastwriters.org
South Coast Poets Out Loud
Ranginui's Tears by Grahame Gee
Grahame Gee reads 'Ranginui's Tears'
Ranginui within the Māori creation story, is the male god of the sky who was separated from Papatuanuku (the earth mother) by their children who, due to their parents embrace, lived in darkness. Rain is the tears of Ranginui grieving the loss and separation from his beloved Papatuanuku.
Aitua, generally understood to be male, is the personification of death and destruction.
This poem appears in 34-37 Degrees South 2025 - An Anthology of Poetry from members of the South Coast Writers Centre.
Fresh words brought to you by the South Coast Writers Centre
Ranginui’s tears by Grahame Gee
He drove slowly
each turn of the wheel squelching the rain-swept road
high above, clouds reflected the fading hues of twilight
It has been a long journey
no one had told him how long it would be
sighing, he breathed slowly
fumbling for a moment, he pressed to open the garage door
home alone, he gathered his thoughts
Ranginui weeps for his beloved
his tears streak the windows, they sparkle in the fading light
Aitua stalks the old and young,
gathers and carries all away,
breaking and stealing dreams and memories
He crept slowly this time, no headlong rush into the abyss,
hiding in the darkness, he waited to gather, to reap
He collected the box from the back seat
for something so small, how heavy it was
inside, the urn held all his memories
he stared at the box, it looked so plain
no time now for the retelling of stories
for this tale had come to an end
Ranginui within the Māori creation story, is the male god of the sky who was separated from Papatuanuku (the earth mother) by their children who, due to their parents embrace, lived in darkness. Rain is the tears of Ranginui grieving the loss and separation from his beloved Papatuanuku.
Aitua, generally understood to be male, is the personification of death and destruction.