HILARY ELFICK

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I know why the gannet’s wing is tipped with black,
how the probing kiwi can sneeze like a dog, why
the stitchbird lies on her back when she is ridden.

I know how many manta rays sleep under the jetty,
the multiplication of oysters under the green cist,
how high a kereru can soar above the podocarps.

I have been a hobo in the Forgotten Valley,
a dot in a laundry basket floating above Vercors,
a changeling and a snake that shed three skins.

I have eaten kina roe fresh from the shoreline,
ridden the Andes in an old tin can,
paddled up the Puhoi against the tide.

I know where orcas breed in winter,
where the tuatara lays her eggs beside the path,
where I have put the letters that you sent me.

Roxana-Monica Mîndrican

Hilary Elfick
 

Colectii

Stiu de ce aripile gastii salbatice sunt patate cu negru,
cum scrutatorul* kiwi* poate stranuta asemeni unui caine, de ce
pasarea stitch* se intinde pe spate cand este deranjata.

Stiu cate pisici de mare* dorm sub debarcader,
inmultirea stridiilor sub ierburile verzi,
cat de sus poate pluti un kereu* deasupra podocarpilor*.

Am fost un hoinar in Valea Uitata*,
un punct intr-un cos de rufe plutind deasupra Vercos-ului,
un copil schimbat de spiridusi si un sarpe ce a schimbat trei piei.

Am mancat oua de mare* proaspat culese de pe tarm,
am strabatut Anzii intr-o veche cutie de tinichea,
am vaslit de-a lungul Vaii Puhoi* impotriva curentului.

Stiu unde stau iarna balenele ucigase,
unde iguana isi depune ouale langa poteca,
unde am pus scrisorile pe care tu mi le-ai trimis.

*“probing”(inspecting) in the original text- I chose “scrutator”( inquiring) because I wanted to focus on the idea of a bird which is examining very closely the environment it lives in. By using “scrutator” I personificated the bird giving it a human attribute.

*A kiwi is any of the species of flightless birds endemic to New Zealand. At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites and lay the largest egg in relation to its body size. All kiwi species are endangered. The kiwi is also a national symbol of New Zealand.

*The Stitchbird is a rare honeyeater-like bird endemic to the North Island and adjacent offshore islands of New Zealand. It became extirpated everywhere except Little Barrier Island but has been reintroduced to three other island sanctuaries and two locations on the North Island mainland. Its evolutionary relationships have long puzzled ornithologists.

*The manta ray is the largest of the rays, with the largest known specimen having been more than 7.6 m (about 25 ft) across, with a weight of about 2,300 kg (about 5,000 lb). It ranges throughout tropical waters of the world, typically around coral reefs. Mantas have been given a variety of common names, including Atlantic manta, Pacific manta, devilfish, and just manta. Recent studies have discovered that what is called manta ray are at least two different species, one smaller local and one much larger and migratory.

*Kereru or (kukupa, kuku or native woodpigeon) is New Zealand’s only endemic pigeon. Kereru is also the only surviving bird since moa and huia capable of ingesting the large fruit and berries of the native trees of New Zealand and dispersing their seed. Trees such as miro, puriri, tawa and tairare are especially reliant on Kereru to disperse their seed so that they may naturally regenerate.

*podocarps - is a large family of mainly Southern Hemisphere conifers, with 18-19 genera and about 170-200 species of evergreen trees and shrubs. The family is a classic member of the Antarctic flora, with its main centres of diversity in Australasia, particularly New Caledonia, Tasmania and New Zealand, and to a slightly lesser extent Malesia and South America (primarily in the Andes mountains).
 

*Forgotten Valey- Peaceful country retreat 1 hour from Sydney at Wisemans Ferry. “Valea Uitata” in Romanian.

*Kina, otherwise known as 'Sea Eggs' are found only in New Zealand. They are widespread along coastlines, at depths of up to 50 metres.The Kina is sought after for it's delicate, smooth, buttery roe. The male roe is silkier, whereas the female roe is slightly more grainy. “oua de mare” in Romanian.

*Puhoi Valley in New Zealand.