"I know the grandmother one had hands
But they were always in bowls"
The narrator of this poem wants her grandmother to spend more time with her, but that does not seem possible. Instead of using her capable hands to do somethings kind and emotional with her alone, she uses them to do something physical. The narrator is therefore jealous of manual labor, wanting her grandmother to spend all of her time with her. The fact that the second line immediately starts with "but" suggests that there is a lot more criticism to come about grandmother's hands.
"Who will be the messenger of this land"
This is perhaps one of the most notable quotes of all time by Jaki Green. It asks readers in a rather straightforward way - who will step up and take initiative? Will it be you? Me? The poem is littered with so many metaphors, similes, and symbols that there are almost too many to count. Everything in the poem - from water to stone - is represented as something more lively than it is - something that someone must harness the greatness of by answering "I will" to this very simple question.
"Translate the language of water"
This is one of the many fabulous literary elements seen in the poem, "Who Will be the Messenger of This Land". The line suggests that everything about the wonderful outdoors has a personality, and that personality must only be harnessed to be released. The language of water in the new land is different from that of already known land, showing how a leader is needing to untie all of the little knots of mystery through a string of new era.
