FORWARD TO THE PAST What was it like Grandad, In the olden days when you were young? Let me see boy… There were lots of trees. There was snow. There were places where the people would go and swim in the ocean. We could swim in the rivers We could swim in the lakes It was all healthy then None of these pills you take. Oh, the fish you could eat. Kaimoana my mokopuna Kaimona, fresh and juicy. Straight from the ocean None of it was dirty. What happened to your ear Grandad? Was it the great water war? No son. It was the sun. It was the sun. We used to walk around without hats you know. Without hats? And without gas masks too. But didn't you get sick from the air? It wasn't like that then my boy, Not like it is now. Why Grandad? Why is it different? Because of people my darling. Because people were indifferent. What's indifferent Grandad? It's when you know something is important but you don't care. You just do business as usual. The city used to go right out to the point you know. Really Grandad is that true? It is my boy. A great city it was. Different to now… What happened Grandad? What happened to the land? The ocean came up my boy. The ocean came up. Why Grandad why? Because of people my boy. Because of people. What did the people do Grandad? That's just it. They didn't do anything.

CONNECTIONS Mr Jones, He drives his Mercedes, With Mrs Jones and their three little babies. The white picket fence, Has turned into a mansion. Mr Jones, He subscribes to a theory of expansion. Bigger is better, always wanting more. Never mind the others, It's their fault if they're poor. He drives to work, Stopping for a plastic breakfast. Progress. He likes things fast. Who cares whether the world will last. His profits are up. This transnational production sure adds up. Mrs Jones wants a holiday, She doesn't let up. Mrs Jones wants a holiday. He doesn't want time away from the business. So, he takes the family When he flies to Abisbuss. He checks the factories. She checks the shops. He knows all the foremen. She knows all the stops. He grins at the labour, Each for less than a dollar a day. Spinning, cutting, stitching to earn their meagre pay. Mrs Jones, She spends those profits. Ching. Ching. Ching. The dollars ring up. Ten days… Thirty years… She steps on to the sidewalk, Children in tow. “Watch out children. Watch where you go!” The clock strikes the hour, the tired whistle blows. Out comes the labour, A sudden bustle grows. “Who are they mummy?” “Poor people darling. Keep away. They're not like us. We have no connection. We stay away.”

GIFTS Appreciate Beauty. It is a gift. Feel the pure ecstasy of the wind in your face. Take time to wake before dawn and The sunrise will set your face alight. Know the warm touch of a loving animal And let those roaming free Ignite your spirit. Bathe in the sea. Drink from a mountain stream. Run through long grass. Lie down in a field of wild flowers And listen to the symphony of nature. Each day it grows quieter. We must love and care for our planet And its intricate ecosystems Of which we have only a small grasp. If we should die tomorrow, It would carry on. If it should die tomorrow, We could not.

LITTLE BIRD Fly little bird fly, Spread your wings and Become the eagle inside. You have been set free. Sail the skies. Let the wind, Be your guide. A life lived in fear, Is a life not worth living. Let go of the past, It is a teacher, But must, be cast Aside, for your friend the present, And your mentor the future. Go in peace, Go in Harmony, But above all, Go in freedom.