Rangikura: Poems

Tibble (Poūkahangatus), an Indigenous poet from Aotearoa, celebrates youth, friendship, and the pride that comes from being an urban Māori. Narrating her own work, Tibble’s voice vibrates with energy and humor as she describes herself and her friends, the “Lil Mermaidz,” strong and able to race the boys for “Western feminism” even as they recognize their true job: “to dive dumb / into the skin of the sea and throw / our heads full of good hair skywards, / saluting the sun.” In the book’s middle section, Tibble turns to prose poems. With a more somber tone, she immerses listeners in the uncertainty and intoxication of passing sexual encounters, which range from underwhelming to shame-inducing to exhilarating. Even as she revels in the vibrancy of youth, Tibble pays homage to her ancestors who ride with her: “They twerk on the roof of the Uber / as I’m pulling up late to the party. / They gas me full tank and yas me in the mirror / as I summon them out of me with my mascara wands and glitter.”