In addition to European and Native American ancestry, Tafea Polamalu has ancestral ties to the island of Ta‘ū in Manua. He was raised in the blue-collar rural town of Tenmile in the mountains of Southwest Oregon. He worked for thirteen years as a wild-land firefighter. He is currently living in Oregon raising his two beautiful daughters: Milaneta and Maleata.
I used to carry my Sāmoaness like
a mouth-full of salty semen: never knowing
whether to spit or swallow.
But that is the ethos of a halfy, right?
Born on a twilight shoreline, unable to define
land from sea or darkness from light
Because half is less than whole, right?
At least, this is how we are made to feel.
So unfold your collar to hide your gills and
wear closed-toed shoes so society will not see
your freakish webbed feet
Or,
I have a better idea,
let’s blow cum bubbles at
other peoples’ troubles and
celebrate our amphibious identities
Son,
I prunk you hea
pecause tis is ta lan of
opprotunity
te is nofing
To you heard me Son?
nofing
Hea in Ameika,
ta worlt is at
you finka tip
and ta sky is ta limits
You know why I nefa
teach you Samoan Son?
cause Samoan no ket you
anyfing in life
tis is ta white man’s worlt
an Enklish is
only fink tat matta
You heard me Son?
Tis is ta white man’s worlt
an at ta en of ta tay, we all haf
to walk fru his toor
at ta en of ta tay, we all haf
walk fru his toor
cause he sign ta check Son
look at me,
my whole life i strukle wif
fo try speak ta Enklish
i strukle my ass off Son
so tat you can ket you
pestes echucation
So i make tamn sure
my sons masta Enklish
pecause tis is what pestes
You see what I’m said Son?
te say, ‘How come I nefa teachet
you speak Samoan?’
What ta hell te fink I prunk you here fo eh?
tes stupit hets know
nofing apout Samoa
Rememper sumfing Son,
Ameika is ta pestes place in ta worlt
so ket ta echucation
pe ta tocto
pe ta lawya
tis is my tream fo you
tis is why fo i prunk you hea
fo to kif you ta
opprotunity to haf ta
fings i nefa haf
You see what I’m said Son?
Okay, koot talk
alu su‘esu‘e
ko prush ta teef
an to ta maf homewok
You no longer drip
the sweet war blood of
your enemies
You no longer hang their
freshly severed heads
from your lave:
hook-shaped fang
Nifo oti
the aitus call your name!
Tooth of Death
in a colonial breath
you have ‘progressed’ from
wood-bone flesh
to stainless steel
You have moved
from the art of killing to
the art of dancing and
traded red blood for
blue flame
No one knows your name or
remembers your former life
they now call you the ‘fire knife’
Siva Afi
Fire Dance
‘Ailao
Knife Dance
‘Ailao Afi
Fire Knife Dance
Warrior from then: that pre-Christ dark age
time warped to now: today
you dance on your stage cage
for minimum wage
what is the source of
your rage?
They say,
just smile and spin your
savage knife
papālagi eyes
You know the routine,
spin, break, under the legs
around the head
side to side, between the legs
toss and catch behind the back …
Hear the oooos and aaaaahs
hear the pate and the lali drumming
don’t forget to smile because
a pleasant-faced savage keeps
the tourists cumming
Jesus and Crack
Duct Tape and SPAM
Elongated Lifespans and Artificial Tans
Tongue Scrapers and Anthrax
401Ks and Bikini Wax
Bougainville and Big Macs
Pi = 3.14159 and Colostomy Bags
Abu Ghraib and Breast Implants
Joe Camel and Uncle Sam
Hiroshima and Styrofoam
Anthropology and the Tijuana Donkey Show
Dangling Modifiers and the World Bank
The Equator and Swank
Vasectomies and Segways
Six-Legged Frogs and the KKK
Mad Cow and Columbus Day
Facebook and the Southeast Asian Sex Trade
‘Counter Terrorism’ and ‘Failed States’
Jersey Shore and Blue Ray
The Greenhouse Effect and Preparation H
The MEF and the GRA
The US–Mexican Border and Menthols
Sputnik and Cubicles
Bernie Madoff and Urinals
Rogaine and Wall Street
The Easter Bunny and Wounded Knee
Dick Cheney and Anal Beads
The Jewish State of Israel and Anabolic Steroids
The Invention of the ‘Savage’ and Suppositories
Dog the Bounty Hunter and YouTube
Skin-Whitening Bleach and Sinking Tuvalu
Throw Pillows and Spermacide
Halliburton and Pimp My Ride
Archdiocese Paedophilia and Uranium-235
Fox News and Sound Bites
The Panama Canal and Astroglide
The Indian Removal Act and Twitter
The ‘Discovery’ of the Pacific Ocean and Lucifer
Liposuction and Disposable Diapers
Survivor Samoa and Pacemakers
The Middle Passage and the My Lai Massacre
The Electric Chair and Henry Kissinger
Jim Crow Laws and the Polynesian Cultural Center
The Invention of the ‘Nigger’ and the Federal Reserve
‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and Darfur
Manifest Destiny and the Hunt for Assata Shakur
Smallpox Blankets and the Twisted Double Helix
Reaganomics and Sherm Sticks
The Ho Chi Minh Trail and the Jena Six
Laser Eye Surgery and G-Strings
Super Big Gulps and the Letter ‘Z’
iPods and H3s
The CIA and MP3s
SUVs and PCP
PNG and AIG
The FBI and ATVs
ATMs and PS3s
FOBs and M16s
The LAPD and RPGs
WOW and MSG
The ATF and LCD HD TVs
PTSD and WMDs
East Timor and Waikīkī
The NRA and Skeet Skeet Skeet
OPEC and the WTO
The Invention of the ‘Third World’ and CEOs
Battery-Operated Nasal Clippers and HMO
Eight-Minute Abs and The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
The Teabaggers and Identity Theft
Viagra and the Age of Enlightenment
1-800-GET-U-SUM and Kevlar Vests
Red Bull and the Tuskegee Experiment
Artificial Insemination and Rambo
Sexting and Waco
Enemas and Castle Bravo
Blood Diamonds and the Alamo
Katrina and XM Radio
The Name ‘New Zealand’ and Drano
Lobotomies and Mobile Homes
Tribal Identification Cards and Guantánamo
Syphilis and George W. Bush
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Hydroponic Purple Kush
Ass-less Chaps and Captain Cook
Lygers and Corn Dogs
Drone Attacks and Enron
The Great Melting Pot and Botox
CNMI and Flight 77
Free Trade and 9/11
Hell and Heaven
The Immaculate Conception and the International Space Station
Erectile Disfunction Medication and One Nation
Under God
Indivisible
With Liberty
And Justice for All