‘A makmakao.  To eat dew.

Gardeners who rise early before sunrise to work in their plantations have dew for breakfast.
(Elisapeti Inia)

The green that surrounds us
Does not have the face of envy
The tendrils of the merene
Crown of the ponapa
Thorn of the mur
Leafy plates of the a’ana
Have the green
Churned and mixed in the mouth
And skin of the dew eater

Hairy of heart,
‘on fatmanava leav
He catches shingles of moisture from
The ringlets of dawn as she slowly
Rouses from an ocean of sleep,
And quickly flicks them into his mouth
Before she snatches it back,
Swallows it hastily
So that it can touch the salt beneath his skin,
Regurgitates this phlegm of life
And spits! it into the soil
His skin will reclaim the rest

His fork and serkapa posed to
Thump! Turn and toil
Thump! Turn and toil
Thump! Turn and toil
Tickling dawn to hurry up and rise

The green that surrounds us
Has a name.
Pumahana Garue Maha.

 

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