The Tanoa by Latoya Fruean

A boarder filled her Tanoa with all her comforts.
She poured her holy water in there,
she placed a cross on the rim
and scattered portraits of her family
as her foundation and support.

She poured inside her ava powder,
placed a soaked and softened Siapo on the side.
Bbeside the Tanoa she placed
things that made up home,
the cooled chapel on a hot day,
open houses with floors made of wood
and the red pa’ave and yellow blouse.
Things that reminded her of Samoa,
She placed those in there too.

Sounds of laughter, sounds of the river,
the sound of joy
and her heritage:
Christianity, her service to the community, her respect,
her mother tongue and her family.
She poured them all into her Tanoa.

Those she grew up with,
those who came along her journey,
those she valued and
those she didn’t value as much,
she placed them in there too.

The static noise of Radio Samoa in the morning,
cakes made of mud and
pretend houses made from sticks and leaves
that was her childhood.

She placed in her Tanoa,
day in and day out, wanting to fly home,
The early Sunday services and feasts
and the ‘āiga she would spend it with.

The never ending taste of salt that grazed her lips
and sat on her tongue
She placed her tears in there too and lastly,

she placed a framed note in her Tanoa,
“E lele le toloa ae ma’au i le vai”,
“The wild duck flies far but always returns to the water,
It stayed strong despite the scratches on the exterior of the bowl.

Her Tanoa became the only reminder of home.
Not once did it complain about the weight of burdens.


Latoya Fruean
​Year 12 ENWN