Dr Art Nahill
5min
Why is poetry making such a huge come-back? I think it is because our souls need more than the shallow to absent meaning-making of mainstream media. Poems are a reminder of what we hold within us. I am honoured to feature this poem by Dr Ant Nahill. How did I come to connect with Ant? It goes back to a conversation with a wonderful, wise wahine, Aphra Green. She suggested Dr Glenn Colquhoun as a potential speaker for a Goodlife event, to speak of his book, 'Holding the ACEs'. We did host that event, which you can read about elsewhere on this website. What a humbling reminder Glenn's talk was. You might even describe him as a bit of a, 'Gabor Mate of Aotearoa'. At his youth health clinic in Levin, he continuously, courageously, humbly, painfully - turns towards what so many of us want to - and have the privilege to - just turn away from. But, when we do, we all keep this world small, we perpetuate the disconnection that erodes our collective potential. He reminded us that, 'we need to stop growling each other. To stop pointing the finger of blame at other parts of the system, and turn our attention toward what we CAN do. We need to WITNESS. We can all make a difference if we choose. It opened something in the hearts of everyone there, we held space for something deeply vulnerable. It melted away performative public personas and we shared feelings, childhood stories, and felt the healing of being witnessed in those stories. Just coming together in a group, has a magical power unto itself. And we acknowledged ofcourse who was missing from that room. Which is something I'd like to address in 2026. Glenn shared with us that he was organising a 'hikoi for health' with his friend, fellow medical doctor and poet, Dr Art Nahill. And that is how I connected with Art and how his poetry came to be here.
The world is drowning
in words
but still
the heart will have
its say.
What wanders unspoken
is a desert
without landmarks.
What flaps unspoken
batters like a bird
against a window.
But your words
your words are hammers
we can build small houses with
to shelter in.
We are kaitiaki of all
that is passed to us.
We are kaitiaki
of each other
forever calling
into the wind.
The world needs us to listen.
May we fall in love
with silence
as dizzily as that
very first time.
May we learn to listen
with our eyes our hands our skin.
May we learn to listen
as the maunga listens.
As the ruru listens.
May we learn to listen
as our tūpuna listen
gently bowing toward the earth
even now
hands cupped
behind their ears
to better hear
our waiata.
~ Dr Ant Nahill
REFERENCES
https://twohemispherespoetry.com/
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/559279/hikoi-for-health-doctors-on-journey-to-change-new-zealand-s-public-health-system
Dr Art Nahill
Dr Art Nahill
Why is poetry making such a huge come-back? I think it is because our souls need more than the shallow to absent meaning-making of mainstream media. Poems are a reminder of what we hold within us. I am honoured to feature this poem by Dr Ant Nahill. How did I come to connect with Ant? It goes back to a conversation with a wonderful, wise wahine, Aphra Green. She suggested Dr Glenn Colquhoun as a potential speaker for a Goodlife event, to speak of his book, 'Holding the ACEs'. We did host that event, which you can read about elsewhere on this website. What a humbling reminder Glenn's talk was. You might even describe him as a bit of a, 'Gabor Mate of Aotearoa'. At his youth health clinic in Levin, he continuously, courageously, humbly, painfully - turns towards what so many of us want to - and have the privilege to - just turn away from. But, when we do, we all keep this world small, we perpetuate the disconnection that erodes our collective potential. He reminded us that, 'we need to stop growling each other. To stop pointing the finger of blame at other parts of the system, and turn our attention toward what we CAN do. We need to WITNESS. We can all make a difference if we choose. It opened something in the hearts of everyone there, we held space for something deeply vulnerable. It melted away performative public personas and we shared feelings, childhood stories, and felt the healing of being witnessed in those stories. Just coming together in a group, has a magical power unto itself. And we acknowledged ofcourse who was missing from that room. Which is something I'd like to address in 2026. Glenn shared with us that he was organising a 'hikoi for health' with his friend, fellow medical doctor and poet, Dr Art Nahill. And that is how I connected with Art and how his poetry came to be here.
The world is drowning
in words
but still
the heart will have
its say.
What wanders unspoken
is a desert
without landmarks.
What flaps unspoken
batters like a bird
against a window.
But your words
your words are hammers
we can build small houses with
to shelter in.
We are kaitiaki of all
that is passed to us.
We are kaitiaki
of each other
forever calling
into the wind.
The world needs us to listen.
May we fall in love
with silence
as dizzily as that
very first time.
May we learn to listen
with our eyes our hands our skin.
May we learn to listen
as the maunga listens.
As the ruru listens.
May we learn to listen
as our tūpuna listen
gently bowing toward the earth
even now
hands cupped
behind their ears
to better hear
our waiata.
~ Dr Ant Nahill
Dr Art Nahill
Why is poetry making such a huge come-back? I think it is because our souls need more than the shallow to absent meaning-making of mainstream media. Poems are a reminder of what we hold within us. I am honoured to feature this poem by Dr Ant Nahill. How did I come to connect with Ant? It goes back to a conversation with a wonderful, wise wahine, Aphra Green. She suggested Dr Glenn Colquhoun as a potential speaker for a Goodlife event, to speak of his book, 'Holding the ACEs'. We did host that event, which you can read about elsewhere on this website. What a humbling reminder Glenn's talk was. You might even describe him as a bit of a, 'Gabor Mate of Aotearoa'. At his youth health clinic in Levin, he continuously, courageously, humbly, painfully - turns towards what so many of us want to - and have the privilege to - just turn away from. But, when we do, we all keep this world small, we perpetuate the disconnection that erodes our collective potential. He reminded us that, 'we need to stop growling each other. To stop pointing the finger of blame at other parts of the system, and turn our attention toward what we CAN do. We need to WITNESS. We can all make a difference if we choose. It opened something in the hearts of everyone there, we held space for something deeply vulnerable. It melted away performative public personas and we shared feelings, childhood stories, and felt the healing of being witnessed in those stories. Just coming together in a group, has a magical power unto itself. And we acknowledged ofcourse who was missing from that room. Which is something I'd like to address in 2026. Glenn shared with us that he was organising a 'hikoi for health' with his friend, fellow medical doctor and poet, Dr Art Nahill. And that is how I connected with Art and how his poetry came to be here.
The world is drowning
in words
but still
the heart will have
its say.
What wanders unspoken
is a desert
without landmarks.
What flaps unspoken
batters like a bird
against a window.
But your words
your words are hammers
we can build small houses with
to shelter in.
We are kaitiaki of all
that is passed to us.
We are kaitiaki
of each other
forever calling
into the wind.
The world needs us to listen.
May we fall in love
with silence
as dizzily as that
very first time.
May we learn to listen
with our eyes our hands our skin.
May we learn to listen
as the maunga listens.
As the ruru listens.
May we learn to listen
as our tūpuna listen
gently bowing toward the earth
even now
hands cupped
behind their ears
to better hear
our waiata.
~ Dr Ant Nahill
Dr Art Nahill
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