Kidscorner

Thursday, 25 September 2025

Kaka Beak


Prompt for What's Going On?
Today we are to write a minimalist, small space poem focusing on a vivid, concrete and specific image that might convey a complex idea or emotion in a single moment. We need a direct language to describe this. It would be perfect if the poem stays within eight lines.

For this all we have to do is select an image of our choice and present the ‘thing’ itself. While isolating the single image, aim should be at revealing its essence and avoiding any decorative word.

I love the Kaka Beak. One of my favourites in Spring

The Kaka beak is a native NZ plant which is endangered. There are less than 200 left in the wild. It's called after its shape as it resembles the beak of a NZ parrot- the Kaka It is part of the legume family like kowhai and peas.
The one underneath is in Hagley Park in Christchurch




Kaka Beak

A force of nature,
bold, unapologetic
bursting scarlet.

Curved like a kaka beak,
speaking strength

An unfurling whisper of passion,
draped like a native jewel
of Aotearoa.


11 comments:

  1. I have never heard of / seen the Kaka beak. Your poem made the plant come alive. I especially like "an unfurling whisper of passion."

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  2. ...the Kaka beak is a bright spot!

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  3. How sad that only less than 200 of these kaka beak plants are now left in the wild. I wonder why it became so endangered. I love the vibrant color and its surviving skill. "a native jewel /
    of Aotearoa."...Beautifully described.

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  4. It is beautiful, as is your poem. How sad it is endangered. I hope somehow it can survive.

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  5. Lovely plant. Shame about the name. In a number of other languages the word kaka means (well you probably know already:)

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  6. Wonderfully done! I liked learning about this plant and I hope it gets off the endangered list soon!

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  7. "Dressed" they are!! I don't think we have the "Kaka beaks" here.

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  8. Oh you captured the image in words so beautifully

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  9. Well captured! Strong, unapologetic, passionate! Wow.

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  10. I learned about something new. I hope they do not become extinct.

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Thank you!!