Parachute stories
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I
enjoyed performing at the festival. It was unreal to me - that people a day ahead in time, on the other side of the world know some random Albuquerquean hardcore kid’s poems. There is no way I can take credit for that. Truly, ours is a God who loves to give good gifts to his children. I hope that my poems are as good a gift to those of you who listen to them, as you are to me. One of the most special experiences I had was with a Maori person after my performance on the festival’s White Elephant stage, where we exchanged a salutation of sorts known as the hongi. This exchange looks something like an “angel” or “eskimo” kiss, where two people close their eyes, touch noses and foreheads in a close embrace, and then exchange the “ha” or “breath of life”. It is a deeply traditional and sacred act - a sign of respect and intimacy. For me, in completing the act with this man, I was no longer considered a visitor, but one of the people of the land. As I have researched a bit on it since, it seems that the longer you hold this embrace, the higher the esteem that is shown. Frankly, I feel a little insecure about that now, because I was so confused when we did it that I think we held the position for a millisecond before I moved away and asked, “Was that right?” So, maybe I’m considered a part of the land. The guy that invited me into this honored embrace was an amazing poet. He performed a short piece for me just before I had to leave, and he had to be one of the fastest-flowing linguists I’ve ever heard. Perhaps this will not have been my first and last time in New Zealand, and I will have the honor of sharing in the hongi with him again, now that I have a deeper respect and understanding of it. At any rate, thank you. Thank you Parachute Festival. Thank you Kiwi Culture, thank you Maoris, thank you to everyone who made my wife and me feel welcome in your country. Thank you for inviting us in the first place. It was humbling to have attended such a wonderful event. Lastly, thank you to the group of young men who found me just left of the Palladium after the hardcore showcase, prayed for me and encouraged me. Perhaps someday, I will be able to express what that meant to me, and the way Jesus used you to give me hope for the wrestlings that have been happening in my heart. Those prayers were providential and I believe that God planned them for a purpose larger than you knew. Levi the Poet
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