Hana Pera Aoake
determined I keep moving
one foot after another
(white baiting on the west coast)
waking at dawn the light refracts
my thermals tucked into red bands with waders on top
walking past glacier-carved granite with sharp peaks towards the river mouth
carrying heavy nets through icy cold water
determined I keep moving
one foot after the other
my red bands still look brand new
wearing them only around the garden
flash gumboots they say then they snigger
trying my best to appear agile rather than clumsy and out of place
determined I keep moving
one foot after the other
wading out over slippery rocks
the same rocks we heated to cook the tuna two days ago
the tendrils of smoke plumed into the freezing air
even Taawhirimaatea sought respite in the surrounding tii kouka trees
determined I keep moving
one foot after the other
soft with sun
lining back up in the baiters queue
it was an Ooturu marama two days ago
we wait and observe the river’s high tides
determined I keep moving
one foot after the other
in autumn they sit in the bankside grasses flooded by the tide
eggs swam out in high spring tides
catching them as they swim upstream
towards the sea
determined I keep moving
one foot after the other
you say aue c’mon girl
opening my hands shyly
streaming through my fingers
spreading out the rigid net
determined I keep moving
one foot after the other
shags chase the whitebait shoals
gulls appear out of the beech lined gorges feverishly looking to fill their bellies
kootuku point their bills below the surface of the water and a kootare sits on a powerline all day
baiters always say to watch the birds
determined I keep moving
one foot after the other
our drag nets scoop up our feed
straining the back
we work quickly
draining the catch in a colander
determined I keep moving
one foot after the other
whitebait fritter between two slices of buttered white bread and tomato sauce
whitebait fritter with lemon, salt and pepper
whitebait fritter made with egg whites with a pinch of salt
i squeeze a lemon and wonder how you would have had yours
determined I keep moving
one foot after the other
walking a sea-line you once wrote about
in the toetoe
on the rocks
and through the mud
determined I keep moving
one foot after the other
Hana Pera Aoake (Ngaati Mahuta, Ngaati Hinerangi, Waikato/Tainui, Waitaha, Ngaati Waewae ki Kai Tahu Poutini) is an artist, writer and independent researcher. They recently published writing in The Material Kinship Reader: Material Beyond Extraction and Kinship Beyong the Nuclear Family (2022), Cordite, Granta, Metro, Runway, Un magazine and Running Dog. In 2020 they published a book of essays(ish) called A bathful of Kawakawa and hot water with Compound Press. They primarily co-organise Kei te pai press with Morgan Godfery and work as a researcher for Toi Taiao Whakatairanga. Based in Te wai pounamu they live by the sea with their ngeru, partner and pepi.