Another Poem

Yes, it's Poetry Thursday again. I couldn't decide what I wanted to post this week, so I just opened up my poetry file, grabbed the first one I could see that was already published. (I don't post the unpublished ones, unless I'm quite sure I don't want to publish them elsewhere, because if it's on my blog it is published, and then I can't give a magazine first rights. I'm not sure if everyone putting their poems on their blogs realise that).

The New Zealand flag has the Union Jack (the British flag) in one corner and then the stars of the Southern Cross on a dark blue background. It is a) quite similar to the Australian flag b) rather fussy and complicated and c) tied to our colonial past, which ardent republicans are inclined to object to. (That's people who want us to be a republic, not Republicans as in an American political party). I wrote the following once when travelling on the ferry between our two main islands. (It is supposed to have the lines laid out in a more interesting pattern, but I haven't figured out how to do that in html yet).

On the Need for a New Flag

Keep the old one
seen by Kupe,
Tasman, Cook
three stripes
blue
green
blue
sea, sky
the land between
flown for generations
to mark arrivings
leavings