I have been raised by the river
I have been raised in the trees
I have been raised in the mountains and plains
Just like the creatures that came before me

Eagles flew here before us
Eagles flew years ago
Eagles flew here but now they’re long gone
This is the Haast eagle’s song

Moa walked here by the river
Moa walked here years ago
Moa walked here but now they’re long gone
This is the great moa’s song

Huia sung here before us
Huia sung years ago
Huia sung here but now they’re long gone
So this is a tribute song

Grayling swum here before us
Grayling swum years ago
Grayling swum here but now they’re long gone
This is those grayling’s song

I have been raised by the river
I have been raised in the trees
I have been raised in the mountains and plains
Just like the creatures that came before me

And I will remember the eagle
And I will rejoice in its flight
Though I never saw it or heard the wingbeats
The Haast eagle soars through the night

And I will remember the moa
And I will respect the great bones
Though I wasn’t here nor my mothers before me
This was the great moa’s home

And I will remember the huia
And I will imagine their song
Those white-tipped feathers and legendary voices
This is the place they belonged

I will remember the grayling
I will recall they swum up from the sea
Then forests fell and choked up the rivers
Now graylings are history

I have been raised by the river
I have been raised in the trees
I have been raised in the mountains and plains
Just like the creatures
that came before me

And they can be found in the rivers
They can be found in the trees
They can be found in the mountains and plans
The bones and the fossils and feathers of creatures
That came before me

© Claudia Robin Gunn