By Osanna Fa'ata'ape
For IWD 2021, I was asked to share at my workplace about my achievements and acknowledge the women in my life who have inspired, mentored and supported me along the way.
As a recent law graduate, the contribution of my village, specifically the women, is never lost on me. Aside from the copious amounts of ula loles (lolly necklaces) and over-enthusiastic cheers from the audience, one of the many rewarding aspects of graduating as a Pacific Islander, is embracing the collectivist value that "when one achieves, we all succeed".
I have been blessed with opportunities to learn from many women who have paved the way, spoken words of truth and life over me, and provided spaces for me to grow, achieve and succeed.
So, on March 8th around the work lunch table, surrounded by my highly esteemed community legal service colleagues, I decided the best way to acknowledge women's achievements was to share a poem inspired by, and dedicated to the women nearest and dearest to me: my mother, my grandmother, my nana and my late aunty.
She Is
she is
like the deep and vast moana (ocean)
bountiful and resourceful
she sustains those that reside with her
open and ever-flowing
she can carry the heaviest of loads
without anyone even knowing
she is
dressing to an open wound
warmth and wisdom are sewn into her every word
never getting the credit she is due
still she pursues
in the most desolate of deserts
she goes to great lengths to bring sustenance and strength
to a world that is individualistic
she is resistance
daring to be the living embodiment of the va’a, the vessel
the canoe our ancestors used to voyage through the pacific
to stay connected across vast oceans
regardless of distance
she creates community with the utmost persistence
she makes the unknown feel like home
she is
the architect, drafting the blueprint, closing the deal
she is
the conductor, orchestrating melodies with grace and zeal
she is
the alchemist, concocting an antidote intended to heal
she has the midas touch with any ordeal
she reveals the fields of fruit and flowers
the beauty that grows amongst the barren and arid soil
amongst the thorns
she is the rose
challenging the status quo
wherever she goes
she knows
to speak her mind
and says what needs to be said
she is
capable and competent
generous and confident
cognisant
donning different hats, she adapts
to the changing tides of the ocean’s highs and lows
she shifts her world around others to adjust
with rusty pans and calloused hands
she lovingly meets the demands of her village
she understands the value of community
and cultivating relationships built upon
alofa (love), fa'aaloalo (respect) and unity
emulating that of her way-finding ancestors
she navigates torrential seas with resilience and ease
she seizes the opportunity to make her mark
she sees the slightest glimmer of light in the dark
you see, these are the endeavours that i wish to embark
i am the amalgamation of all who went before
a lineage of trailblazers who opened their own doors
i am who i am because of the sacrifices she made
the courage she portrayed
the faith she displayed
the prayers she prayed
i am village made
the direct result of tongues marked with protest and tears and prayers and songs
bodies that hold stories
stories that hold weight
a legacy of greatness
not left to fate
she stands on the shoulders of all the women
who made the sweetest lemonade out of the most sour of lemons
i stand on the shoulders of all the women
who made the sweetest lemonade out of the most sour of lemons
- osanna lilia fa'ata'ape
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