Remarkable Dykes

                                                                     Ōtarahaka 
                                                                     trachyte passage
                                                                     Tamatea’s exploded ashes

                                                      scarred 
                                                      hills forestry’s 
                                                      slash remains scattered  

                                         broom
                                         blossoms radiate 
                                         like melted butter 

                           kōhatu
                           fallen resemble
                           ancient dolmen tombs

remarkable 
dykes rock 
slabs climbing skyward

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Ariana Tikao is a Kāi Tahu artist of the sound and word variety from Ōtautahi Christchurch. She was a 2023 Ursula Bethell Writer in Residence at Canterbury University, and was awarded as a New Zealand Arts Laureate in 2020. www.arianatikao.com