halfway

between flat and charged, halfway

between sofa and bed, halfway

between weeping and sleeping

by which I mean halfway between

two halves of myself and

no more tāwaki, they’ve thrown a revolt

done with the moult

or maybe just moved on mass 

to the other side 

by which I mean to the other side

of the camera and the bright lights

no roads on the Antipodes

but moult or die

find food or starve

halfway between trawler and shark

halfway between ocean acidity on the rise

and disease setting in, halfway

between kill or be killed,

halfway between nice guy and kind

by which I mean

it’s okay to cry

Rauhina Kohuwai-Banks

15/4/2026, Ōtepoti: toikupu #15