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Whether it is "Redefining literary techniques and devices", "Justifying Papua New Guinea Literature", or "Translating the Bible into Anuki", these offer valuable reading for the paperless student of literature, and indeed the best sort of literary entertainment you can get out of Papua New Guinea. Check them out either on Soaba's Storyboard or The Anuki Country Press.

Friday 23 September 2011

Poems by Deborah Kayuwa


                                                          
View of the day

She came down to the beach
When they told her
And saw the familiar figure
Sitting still, looking out
To sea and the distant horizon

A moment of hesitation
Then the sure-footed steps towards
The figure; she sat down beside him
And took the half-smoked cigarette
From his fingers and smoked with him
The effect of nicotine helping a little

Her sisters came and placed thumbs
Over his eyes to shut them
For this had been the man who kept her
Vigilant 24 hours a day to answer
All her children’s needs, yet she
Could not take him into her family

She replaced the cigarette in his fingers
Fumes rising and sailing by
As they led her away, from the ocean
 And the motionless figure

For a moment she thought
She would pause, look back
But walked on

            

Walking

Amazing how men choose
To walk ahead of others
Believing they are better
Than the rest

They stroll on ahead
Oblivious of the seasons
Walking the talk, talking
The false or truth
But they walk, anyway

Now I could tell you
About my own lover
Who’d once walked the talk
Way, way ahead of me

But that is yet another story
For another time, another place
Somewhere within the galaxy

              

Ring bark trees

My lover, he’s simply smashing
I tell Charity, my little sis
As we trace the initials carved round
The bark of this ancient tree

So many things carved on this tree
Of and by humanity in passing
Like stars and heart shapes
And diamonds and rings

Next to twelve others
Is my lover’s name
He is the best, I do declare

I notice tears in Charity’s eyes
She weeps for joy, she tells me
I know you are happy, she says
Let there be no other, she prays
Don’t hurt this one, big sis
                                                                               

1 comment:

Gelab Piak said...

Great poems. PNG poets have the talent to take over the world. in the 19th and 20th centuries European Poets sort-of ruled the world, now it's our (PNG Poets) turns.