Turakina Street

I give you
these baskets and ’ei
made by my hands
in the old style
from plastic packing strips
my way of keeping alive those ties
to home
in this land not my own
there are no pandanus leaves here
but there are jobs for me and all my brothers and sisters
we will send you what we can
when we can
we catch buses every day
and we clock in every morning
the hours are long but the pay is good
you may cut the pandanus I planted as a girl
and we will exchange our crafts
when next we meet
my sister, my husband and I
and all our children
live at Turakina Street
we still make pai every Sunday
and share it with all the clan