So much red

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

So much red

Red smeared across the vanity

Red pulled from a rainbow and pulled into puddles

It was a hurricane in a blackout

A storm brewing in the places that already hurt

A red bruise darker than any brick wall whether it was still standing after the windows fell through or not

It was an empty text message

A goodbye in the form of a question

A “stay safe baby, I love you”

It was 49 coffins picked out

49 obituaries

49 last breaths, last moments, last fears, last everythings

It was 49 lost lives that fell at the feet of a gun that drew love from their bones.