3 poems by Vaughan Rapatahana

3 poems by Vaughan Rapatahana 

Pachyderm words

Oral examiners meeting, Yau Ma Tei, 2009

on stage

the bullshit

s p e w s:

an ELEPHANTINE

roar

incessant

we are all

far too old

to hear

such

clumsy

pedantry,

crouched

awkward

on silly

stools,

clumped

e  n  f  i  l  a  d  e  d

on sterile floor

kiddy talk

lambastes

our ears;

the effluence

s p i l l i n g  ever  on,

basting

us

into

torpid

sub

mission

flick the boxes

scribe the pages

guffaw on prompt

no mahouts us:

mere

clumps

of dried dung

ready to

d

r

o

p.

Listen to this poem:

* * *

filipino fling

quake

that

liquid

     flash

of

leonine

eyes,

the

cupolaed

     dash

of

inner

thighs –

essential

ingredients

for

a

filipino

fling.

seize

this

quick

effervescent

       s

    a  m,

  p

s

speeeeding

           toward

                        stasis:

perhaps

a

Palladium

of

promise…

more

likely,

a mix

you’ll

never

quaff…

Listen to this poem:

* * *

faded love

faded love:

an

   turn

 p     e

u       d

milkshake.

last

vestige

ice

mush,

faint froth

flecks,

your

lipmark

trace

on

  the

                  edge

of  my

mind.

Listen to this poem:


© Vaughan Rapatahana 2009

Vaughan Rapatahana is a New Zealand Maori. He lived 5 years in Brunei Darussalam, where he learned Malay. Now, he is settled in Tin Shui Wai, Hong Kong, with his Filipino wife. They have travelled to Malaysia a few times, the last in August, 2009.

He has writings published in Aotearoa-New Zealand, Hong Kong and The Philippines.