Aotearoa Runaway

By Leilani Tamu 06 March 2017, 12:00AM

they searched for my body

in local parks and schools

 

they cut away

the long grass

daring to hope

for a sign

 

an angelic proclamation

or at least a shoe or a sock

 

while on the other side of town

I was high in the sky

hanging out with some random guy

 

and my mate Johnny

in the backseat

last name: Walker

he was one real treat

 

then they found me

messed up and bruised

their sweet island girl

gone bush feral

 

forget sympathy (they said)

screw pity    yes to sheer relief

f___ yes to bloody angry

 

over and over they asked

and asked: what do we do

with this harlot, this slut?

what happened to our baby?

 

yesterday she was thirteen

years      innocent

now she’s literally f____d

 

so they hacked off    my hair

 

hoping cultural violence: shame

might stop me from running again

but once more         I jumped

out that window        I hurtled

 

Nāfanua hussy hair     flying free

 

far far away from Sāmoa

Aotearoa runaway

a foolish kid

searching

for true love

and freedom

from fear

By Leilani Tamu 06 March 2017, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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