Adieu.(Translation) . Poem by Michael Walker

This is an emotional farewell to Jerusalem (Hiruhama) where Baxter lived in a commune with young people in a house let or lent to him by local Maori. There were nuns and priests living and working in Jerusalem and he interacted constantly with them, having converted to the Catholic religion. He went daily to Mass in the small church. Baxterleft Jerusalem for Auckland, but returned to the village before his death. He farewells the green hills and the fog over the Whanganui River. The peach tree is broken because it carried too much fruit. It is, nevertheless, better that way than getting covered in moss. Like the tree, he and the religious are broken by trying to love many people. But then they are at peace again like a house without a roof, which lets the sun stream in.
Haere Ra=Farewell, Goodbye.