Fantail Poet
My first wildlife encounter here happened to be the pīwakawaka, or Fantail bird. S/he is a lovely sort of creature that flounces in flight to greet you. You would almost think its flight pattern close to the humming bird except that it does not move in jagged diagonals, it bounces. Right up to your ear (yes, they come that close) as if to whisper a secret and then, in sudden indecision, decide it's better to perch nearby. Its lighthearted and welcoming maneuvers seem quite a fitting representative of Kiwi interaction -- just as friendly and jovial as the tree planting groups and other farmers I have met so far. Today, I had a surprising and particularly lovely encounter. Exploring beyond my usual mornings of baking bread, grazing the garden and picking/jarring olives, I went on a hunt for some highly coveted ice cream -- a thirty minute walk away from the nowhere I reside. Along the way of green pastures and confused staring cows I came across an art gallery. A 70-something self-taught oil and watercolor artist who was an absolute dear. Lucky for me, I found out she also wrote poetry (privately for family) and I was able to coax her to read. Her poems simple stories in rhyme, much like the enjoyable rhythm of "Up on a Housetop" sort of flow. They were pure enjoyment -- the bouncy phrases reminding me of the pīwakawaka's friendly welcome. She is forever the Fantail poet, her sweet words an innocent invitation and reminder to greet the stranger, skip up to whatever life brings your way and taste the foreign. For today, that happens to be a large scoop of peanut butter gelato for the return walk back to the farm and a happy hum as I skip to the beat of her poetry.
