On Tuesday 28 May, 23 students and I from all year levels had the amazing opportunity of listening to Poet and Author Apirana Taylor. When I first walked into the library I was quite unsure of what I had signed up for. I came out of pure curiosity and intrigue as meeting an author sounded really interesting. However, after attending the workshop, I can say that it was more than just interesting. The experience was enlightening, and eye-opening and was definitely much better than what I had anticipated.
Apirana started us off with a seemingly unusual exercise of screaming the phrase “Writing makes you strong”. Although it felt weird and even a bit embarrassing at first it was really eye-opening to find that screaming those words actually did have positive effects. The space was much more comfortable and the words themselves made me feel more confident in my writing abilities. Through a range of different writing activities, Apirana guided us through discovering our true creative capacity, challenging us to think on our feet and let our thoughts flow freely. Through this, we managed to produce many beautiful pieces such as the following written by an anonymous attendee of the workshop.
My family is my rock; the army by which I stand by
Like a bed, warm and safe; they comfort me
We come from different branches, we live on different moons
But our love never wavers.
When my lawn runs dry
They water me with words of encouragement
Their voices like notes of music sending bolts of warmth throughout me
No matter where I go
No matter how far I go by plane
My family will always be my rock
Apirana also shared some of his work with us. Through his use of body gestures, voice, and movement; the presentation was very entertaining. One of his pieces that really stood out was his poem Thank You.
thank you for the nails
thank you for the blankets
thank you for the rum
thank you for the tobacco
thank you for your law
thank you for your prisons
thank you for smashing my language
thank you for changing my family values
all these things I no longer want
thank you
Overall the experience was extremely fun and enlightening. Apirana was welcoming and his world experience made him very intriguing to listen to. If I was given the opportunity, I would definitely visit him again .
Amy Grinsted
Kauri, Year 12
