FAUMUINA FELOLINI TAFUNA’I
WHEN I was at a gathering at the University of Goroka, there was a point where four women were on stage - Mama Daisy and three academics.
'Mama' Daisy Samuel is from Lower Bena in the Unggai-Bena district where she is president of the Ward 2 women’s association and a sling bag maker.
There came a comment from an audience member (a Moresby-based Papua New Guinean academic).
"I see three women on stage,” she said, and proceeded to compliment them about their work. She did not "see" Mama Daisy.
I felt for Mama Daisy, and thought of my own mother so afterwards I interviewed her and wrote my poem, which I performed at the end of my presentation.
Ladies from Bena gave me bilum as a thank you and we all became fast friends.
I see you
For Mama Daisy Meko Samuel
I see you mother with no husband
I see your born son
I see your grown son
I see you provider
I see you humble
I see you kiss goodbye
I see you in Berlin
I see you adopt a daughter
I see her a new sister
I see you destroyed
I see you rebuild
I see you guardian
I see you Bena
I see you Napamogona
I see you Mama Daisy
I see my late husband
I see me and us
You are my eyes
The next poem, Mary and the fe'e, is published in Fika: a fictional body of new writing by First Draft Pasefika Writers compiled by Danielle O'Halloran and Felolini Maria Ifopo. Ifopo is my maiden name and Felolini my first name before I took the chief name Faumuina.
Mary and the fe’e
Tentacles climbed
Over over
over over
Over over
over over
Mary. Mary
who could
not see
not hear
not feel
& not fear
Come fe’e.
Come she
called him
like he
was a
pig pig
pig
I see
one who
is old –
old & grey,
grey & fragile.
He wants
to come
to us.
So fe’e
went off
to find
the old
man of
Siumu.
Old & grey,
he was
lying in
a fale
embraced by
his wife
who cried in
the dark
Slowly fe’e
crept under
the old
man’s bed
and when
Sleep
took his
wife
Fe’e embraced
the man
& left him
& left him
& left him
dead.