Written piece
Threads of History
Rhea Kumar
Fiji
About this piece
As a poet from Fiji, our stories are an essential part of who Pacific Islanders are. This poem is about how our stories are our thread in the world, a culmination of our history that is a testament to our present.
Pieces of fabric intertwined
Layers of stories told and untold
Histories of twine and string and ribbon
Testaments of beginnings, endings, the new and the old
Like the mats of tradition and braids of the magimagi
Like the knots and the stitches of the saree
The interwoven history of diaspora and belonging
The connection of souls, heritage and calling
Where I'm from the land has a name, the ocean is our home, and the people are community
Where I'm from many don't look or speak the same, but no one is truly alone, and the people honour humility
The Pacific thread is a calling of home
It's the interconnected journey of the seas, the skies and the earth
It is a whisper of a history that has not been forgotten
A homage to the world we see before us now, with all it's joy and hurt
What do we bring to the table except our lands, our seas, our past, our story?
Lay down your flowers, put down the pen, burn the paper and bury the trees
For it is in our stories, interconnected across time and place, woven stitch by stitch, where one could find the threads of gold and glory