Following after the death of Sir Ed Hillary, NZ has lost another good man. Hone Tuware has died. I don't know a lot about him but have read some of his poetry and have a cd with some NZ artists speaking/singing his poetry.

Here's one of his poems. I hadn't read it before but it seems appropriate. Haere Ra Hone. May your ancestors greet you in the Afterlife singing Haera Mae Haere Mae Haere Mae.

Toroa ~ Albatross - Hone Tuwhare

Day and night endlessly you have flown effortless of wing

over chest-expanding oceans far from land.

Do you switch on an automatic pilot, close your eyes

in sleep, Toroa?

On your way to your homeground at Otakou Heads

you tried to rest briefly on the Wai-te-mata

but were shot at by ignorant people. Crippled.

You found a resting place at Whanga-nui-a-Tara;

found space at last to recompose yourself.

Now, without skin and flesh to hold you together

the division of your aerodynamic parts lies whitening,

licked clean by sun and air and water. Children will

discover narrow corridors of airiness between,

the suddenness of bulk. Naked, laugh in the gush

and ripple — the play of light on water.

You are not alone, Toroa. A taniwha once tried

to break out of the harbour for the open sea. He failed.

He is lonely. From the top of the mountain nearby he

calls to you: Haeremai, haeremai, welcome home, traveller.

Your head tilts, your eyes open to the world.