Moments of Unconsciousness

By Jason Te Puia

It is with much love & pain that these poems have been brought to life. I never set out to write them. They were written in those “Moments of Unconsciousness” in which words would come together to amplify some point in my life that I had reached.
Life has been a wonderful journey for me. The hardest of all has been the bridging of two worlds, with I being the product of two worlds colliding over 150 years ago.
I wrote “My Father’s Eyes” to illustrate the above point. My father existed in a cultural vacuum, neither here nor there. Unable to find solace in the Maori world (as speaking Maori was banned in schools in Aotearoa/New Zealand). In being Maori he would never be fully accepted in the English world, hence he was neither Maori nor Pakeha (English).
It is hard to look back at the Maori world, as it existed before colonisation with the eyes of one who has grown up in the twilight of the twentieth-century. I only hope that my ancestors would be proud of me, all that I have become and are still to be.
I hope that you enjoy the poems and they give you a little insight into my life. I am sure that I will have many more of those “Moments of Unconsciousness”.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jason Te Puia
• Release date: Aug 2, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476010755

Jason Te Puia

Jason Te Puia (Te Arawa, Ngati Pikiao) was born in Auckland and raised in Mourea, Rotorua before moving to live in Australia with his his five brothers and two sisiters. A Natural talent for art led Jason To graduate from the National Art School of East Sydney, and he also has qualifications in Architectural Drafting. As Well as being a 'mad keen rugby fan' jason is an avid collector of books, especially books dealing with Maori and Polynesian culture. His previous comic strip 'Warrior Soul' appeared in the 'Outrigger' newspaper, and he has appeared in a few exhibitions in Australia.His first graphic novel 'The Legends of Maui' was published in New Zealand by Reed Publishing (a division of Penguin Books).

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