The Nz Kingfisher Or Kōtare Poem by Keith Shorrocks Johnson

Anticipating... it holds harmony
With the surface in reflection -
Life and death in quiet economy
Perfect in its delved completion.

So does te Kōtare, the kingfisher,
In stillness and silence dive deep,
As it hunts the perilous river
In reaches that fierce spates make steep.

No need of whetstone or stropping
This knife in the water stays keen -
Its point and its edges redeeming
The intent of patience unseen.

Take heed of this sacred privilege
That sharp awareness keep its edge.