Challenging Poetry

New Zealand: watching the haka

I know them,
these men who shout their defiance
to the world—beating their chests,
stomping their feet,
rolling their eyes.
I know them,
their faces carved with history.

a woman does not dance the war haka.
our breath holds a different power,
our voices are too shrill,
and when we fight,
there is no room to pose,
puffing out our chests
and sticking out our tongues
that the enemy is beaten
before they begin combat.

I know them.
the pride of their families.
the strength of their nation.
the warriors.

Author's Note ▶︎

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haka
I admit that although I have done research on the haka, it was very rudimentary. I do know there are hakas that women and children do. It isn't all about the All Blacks. But from an outsider's point of view--I was always kind of bummed that when I was in my folk dance class in college, they told us women specifically that we couldn't do the haka because it was traditionally a male dance. But there were other dances that the men couldn't do . . . so I guess I should give up the disappointment . . .