Mapu-mei he-ngalu:
Utterings of the repressed
{Kiokio mei he lilo}
For Sione Amanaki Havea on his 76th birthday
Though possibilities be repressed
And responsibilities yielded,
So that subjects are abjects
Their rights denied;
Though opportunities be rejected
And obligations resigned,
So that the poor are placeless
Their voices undermined;
Still I stutter under fractures
And the marks of erasure.
To Wind and its strength
Current and its stealth,
To Earth and its breath
Darkness and its depth,
Though limits rupture
And the center conquers
I cannot help but utter
Obligations for the Other.
When departure defers
Limits are maintained;
When arrival delays
Hope is sustained,
That waves may rise
And return to their places,
But the lines in the sand
Shall resist their displacing hands.
Courage, tame my heart
Patience, lead my hands
Thou, look at my face
My hope, do realise!
For hope is my name
The lines on my face!
All rights reserved
Jione Havea
Jan 06, 1998