homesick golden haired palagi boy comes home to Apia with his aged Matriarch Grandmother Edwina; Auntie Mina; Nonosina.
homesick brown eyed palagi boy felt neither one nor the other not palagi not Samoan until Cousin Monty gave him soul Samoan laughter
Homesick golden haired palagi boy falling into dreamlike existence falling into strong bonds of family Talofa Talofa lava
Lava lava
Your Shroud enwraps my waist thighs legs colours me hibiscus pink yellow red gives me something I believe in That I am Samoan enough to wear your Lava lava
I love you , see
Son I watch you engrave the shoreline with compassion: “I love you sea and fishes”.
Daughter, I watch you cradle in your arms mortality: this driftwood bird, with tears, rest it at your feet.
Son, I watch you shout at the wind without fear, charging the air with word song
Dedicated to my Children, Jarah,
Waipapa, and Parone-Vincent.
Planting Hawaiian Hibiscus Radican Gardenia Sister Edwina was right We were going to plant Hibiscus in the middle of your garden We planted mistakenly Gardenia “It’s where She wanted it, is supposed to be there, leave it”
When the Gardenia flowers with the Hibiscus How the convexed Sky blue opens up Sun showers in the middle afternoon Come down upon my skin like a dry hungry desert cracks up water veins
Hibiscus trumpet blooms wailing old stories true some superstition some dream weaving too of the old people the Island Tula’ele Our Village I know you have gone home to the garden of Eden where the Gardenia Hibiscus bloom
at sunset you run from tree to tree the breadfruit, mango, paw-paw of your Mothers garden, stealing fruit.
Dedicated to Edwina Ulberg-Poole
a place to go
I searched all night in the undergrowth in the moonlight furrowing my brow impatient with anticipation
the street lights are dirty it’s going to rain for sure, come inside to the fale a place to go a place to hide
feeling our way in the darkness to your, brow, eyes, lips; the watchful moon knows...
lie with me on the woven sleeping mat the air is cool it’s open here in the fale a boy, a girl away from the city we make love.
Silence, hush falls upon the garden heavy laden the light birds of night call to be fed only the palms dare speak Eden in the bed of night
Night falls as every life dies as every heartache brings sorrow Soaring Diving to be hand fed reeling climbing her hand outstretched Sina Moonlit compassionate Matriarch
Hibiscus night fires surround us The Chickens The Lizards stare, watching us suspicious what do we care stealing into the night dynamic hybrid flight into the heart
What do we care for the superstitions The shape shifter Matai who catches lovers casting fear across his heart the fear of infidels
Dance with me shake until you break the shackles of our oppression we are young and free Kiss me Make love to me Steal the food from my heart Take the lust from my hand Now soar
Samoan Laughter
We laugh Like a loud emotion bursting upon each other infectious. It unites us for a common cause the cause of each other For we are alive by the grace of god
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