Reihana MacDonald Robinson is a poet who lives in the Coromandel. Robinson has worked extensively in the Pacific in arts education, receiving artist residencies at the East-West Center, Hawai‘i, and the Anderson Center, Minnesota. She was the inaugural recipient of the Te Atairangikaahu Poetry Award. Her work was included in AUP New Poets 3 (2008) and she is currently working on a new collection.
The Missionaries. Misguided as usual. Decide en masse
To convert the native women
Who are perceived to be holding the purse strings.
So the women observe the missionaries
In their tea drinking. Which includes the refined use
Of what is shaped like a jam spoon.
And is in fact a jam spoon.
Because pikelets must be eaten with the tea.
Never mind the wheat which must be imported
As taro isn’t any good for baking pikelets.
Methodically by Methodists mostly
And it catches.
Only. Who has the teacup?
Who has the saucer?
Who has the precious leaves?
No one woman in the village has
All the utensils or all the ingredients.
Each prizes her own contribution.
And when the tea ceremony is announced
Each woman brings her own offering.
And the cup of tea begins.
So when Caroline’s daughter made the ritual 21
Each of Caroline’s friends gave her
Gifts of tea. A cup. A spoon.
This long morning we sit in a colonial outpost
And sip our English Breakfast tea
And Noa Noa soon to be 21
Pours tea for Caroline and me.
– I not marry
I free
– The doctor
He safe you life
I luf my boyfren
I luf my Willie
He make luf me
(you no tell anyone)
I luf my Willie
He care for me
He luf me
He care for my boys
Ev’rybody tell me
Leave him
Leave Willie
He no good
But I luf my Willie
Willie he lie me
He has two boys
Many wifes
You know when we at Forgeti’s house
All she say
Leave Willie. He no good for you.
Why they tell me that? You know at the market
I see his brother he say
– Willie has two sons
He not lie me
Why Willie make lie?
Tonight I ask Willie
I no want marry the pālagi
My life is suffer
My mind is free.