1860s: The Unhistoric Story, verse 4

October 17, 2018

By AHNZ

“Green slashed with flags, pipeclay and boots in the bush,
Christ in canoes and the musketed Maori boast;
All a rubble-rattle at Time’s glacial push:
Vogel and Seddon howling empire from an empty coast
A vast ocean laughter
Echoed unheard, and after
All it was different, something
Nobody counted on.”

—
Gun image from Belich’s documentary
Kiefer Sutherland in ‘River Queen’ (2005)
Hawaiian kid laughing along at NZ ambition to rule the Pacific- found on Pintrest

– The Unhistoric Story’, verse 4. Brilliant poem by Allen Curnow

Verse 1
Verse 2
Verse 3
Verse 5