Dear Matafele Peinam
“i want to tell you about that lagoon/ that lucid, sleepy lagoon lounging against the sunrise…”
A Pacific climate change poem, by Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner.
poetry
The Caregiver’s Story
“because their taro fields are washed away/ by the hungry sea/ they are hungry…”
A Pacific climate change poem, by Evelyn Flores.
Gaia
“Become more than a wave or a grain of sand for others to step on…”
A Pacific climate change poem, by Serena Ngaio Simmons.
Basket
“Then, bone by bone/ her low tide lips/ reveal the names…”
A Pacific climate change poem, by No’u Revilla.
Praise Song for Oceania
“praise your rainbow/ warrior & peace/ boat / your hokuleÊ»a/ & sea shepherd…”
A Pacific climate change poem, by Craig Santos Perez.
At Palau Pacific Resort
“it’s always the same/ they are so comfortable/ so at ease…”
A Pacific climate change poem, by Emelihter Kihleng.
Layers
“This is for those of us who cannot afford rent/ but also cannot afford to wait…”
A Pacific climate change poem, by Terisa Tinei Siagatonu.
Water Remembers
“WaikÄ«kÄ« fed OÊ»ahu people for generations/ so easily that its ocean raised surfers,/ hailed the highest of aliÊ»i to its shores…”
A Pacific climate change poem, by Brandy NÄlani McDougall.
Summer in Another Town
“Docile hamlets grow lazy in the heat like cows;
and thin naked children learn to grow
with the taste of dust in their mouth…”
Poem of the Week (24 August), by Nabanita Kanungo.
When Dolls Were Made of Paper and Sugar Water Was a Tonic
“On the bottom shelves of closets,/ the paper-dolls lay in cots,/ penciled-in eyes trained on doors/ that let in rabid dogs…”
Poem of the Week (31 July), by Saba Husain.