Vivienne Plumb
From Darkness to Light
About the third time I go there
I realise the Kerikeri New World Supermarket
has a faux missionary ‘Stone Store’ style frontage.
1819 was the New World
although now it’s the old world
made new again by New World.
Mr Davis: one red blanket
six shillings and threepence.
A sickle, some snaffle bits, harness rings,
a whetstone, a rope jack and a case of school slates.
They ate the rancid flour
but dreamt of something else.
Pork was called salt junk,
the tea the whalers brought
was nicknamed post and rails,
a rag wick in a bowl was a slush light.
When the language is learnt and the Gospel
preached in their own tongue
they will be turned from darkness to light.
