‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  All I know of my birth is that it was cataclysmic in its power. Powerful forces spewed me steaming and writhing into a boiling sea of foam and steam.’  For thousands of neap and spring tides I stood, a great bare rock in a seemingly endless ocean, waiting for what – I was not able to know.
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‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  It was aeons of time until out of all the flotsam a jetsam to be washed up upon my shore, the first coconut was fortunate enough to find a pocket of soft ash and sand. I learned of its approach’  from an albatross’  seeking a rest while crossing an endless sea.’  It came from the east and was thrown by a great wave high upon the beach at a spring’  tide.’  The already rotting nut became jammed firmly between two rocks of lava and there took root.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  It had been painful to be ever bare, exposed to sun, wind and rain for a span of time that had seemed endless.’  But that first tree was a great blessing.’  I was constantly aware and proud of its presence as if it were a jewel in a rocky setting.’  As it grew, it attracted birds who would spend a short time upon me before continuing to unknown destinations. They drank from pools of rain water that collected among my rocky surfaces and something to eat within and beneath the palm.’ 
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  Time passed quickly now.’  At last I was not just a lonely, bare rock in an ever restless sea.’  Other seeds came with the birds and’  waves.’  Slowly, singly or in groups the plants came to my shores and settled.’ 
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  Some measure time by the sun, I measure it only by the’  tides and changes that come upon me.’  My first inland cover was long, so long in coming.’  The first grasses were followed gradually by shrubs, and they in turn by stunted trees.’  The process may be considered wearisomely slow for some, but for me it was an ever changing drama as I saw the scene gradually progress.’ 
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  In due course I had a fine cover of forest in my east, north and western shores.’  The north eventually included many teaks of which I was particularly proud and there was thick undergrowth in many places.’  The gaping mouth of my crater is very high, its lips sometimes covered in cloud. Inside, at the base of the’  crater, rains collected and eventually formed into a deep, most beautiful pool of cool, sweet water. The volcanic ash covering the steep sides of the crater were soon coated in a thick green carpet. Later shrubs, then trees became a splendid green jungle’ 
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  To the south and east a variety of grasses and shrubs grew, for this was the last of places to be covered with growth of any kind.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  It was, what has since become a most eventful day in my story,’ ‘  that some creatures came floating from the west upon a small craft.’  With great shouts they’  landed on my western shore.’  There was great excitement and preparations as they began to settle high upon what was now a wide and sandy shore in the shade of the trees.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  I was truly beautiful then and had no need to wonder at the reason for their excitement.’  They cut down some stout trees and began to build’  shelters.’  It saddened me seeing them undo what had taken so long to create but I accepted the changes with resignation’  knowing that this would be just another phase in my history and life.’  I looked upon these enterprises with resignation knowing well that I had no power to prevent them happening.’  I knew that the seeds would always remain.’ 
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  The creatures explored nook and cranny for animals or others similar to themselves, but of course found none. There were only the many birds that had found habitation in the forests and on the plain.’  The newcomers built more and more as time went on.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  With them they had brought some pigs and foul and planted certain fruit trees that I had never known before.’  I was glad now of the extra activity and paid much attention to every detail I possibly could.’  They named me Rapanui, or ‘˜The Beautiful One’™ although it was not long in the span of time as I know it, that they succeeded in returning me to a sad and sorry state compared to the way I looked when they had discovered me.’ ‘  It did not take long for the creatures to multiply in number quite dramatically, slowly but surely denuding me of my forests so that I finally became a sorry sight.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  This bareness truly began after many seasons when the group, though originally small, became much larger.’  Many of my trees had been used for houses, boats, fences and tools.’  They burned the wood to cook and keep warm.’ 
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  These creatures also created carvings which they treated with a great awe and respect.’  At first they made these figures of wood, but as time went on, it was felt that these were not sufficiently impressive.’  They then began then to cut figures from my dark, rocky face.’  The stone figures, which, interestingly, looked always similar to one another, soon began to take on proportions that were startlingly large.’  This activity rather amused me, for rock I had in abundance and the material was of little consequence to me.’  As time went on and the figures became ever larger and more numerous, I began to feel that they even compensated in some small part for the denuding of my once fine green cover.’ 
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  Although these creatures, whom I came later to know as humans, became divided into many groups,’  they all appeared to have one’  of their number to whom they had a special respect.’  This set-apart human’  seemed to desire that ever greater images be made of the black stone.’  Many of these stood sentinel-like along my shore.’  Eventually strife and argument between the groups lead to ever larger images until I began to think that the humans plainly needed protection from themselves.’  Naturally they would never feel that I, too,’  was need of protection.’ ‘  I resigned myself to whatever the passing seasons would bring upon me – and bring upon me indeed they did.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  There began much agitation and violence as to which place belonged to whom.’  Many began dying for unknown reasons and despondency became great.’  Most of my trees had gone by now but destruction of whatever was left continued unabated.’  New boats were built and there was much preparation for I knew not what.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  Finally there came a day when the few remaining humans set themselves upon their crafts and took to the sea to seek, I suppose, another island as beautiful as I once had been.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  After the last of them had left, after many tides and times had come and gone,’  another group of humans came to my shores.’  These learned my story from the signs that they found in crannies and nooks.’  They named me Rano Raraku, meaning The Lonely One.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  I have little left to show of the beauty that once was mine save these great images of stone made by creatures who could not live in harmony – neither among themselves nor with me.’  But unlike the humans, time to me is of little consequence and forbearance is one of my strongest attributes.’  So I shall not have to wait now so long as in the beginning to become once more beautiful.’  Seasons will pass, and’  storms, too, of wind and spray, until, once again, there will come a time that I shall be as lovely as I was on that most eventful day.