A poetic response to a painting by Mereia Carling by Kaliopate Tavola. Written in Paekākāriki, Aotearoa New Zealand, January 2024.

Bulou

In ancestral genealogy
You are Rokowati
But affectionately: as Bulou
To all of Natavasara family fold.

Betrothed to Tuni, Natusara’s Kalou Vu
A legend in his own right –
But you have claimed your own eminence: your own persona
A distinctive triumph that has enthused delight.

Your sporadic presence may herald certain life episodes
Which, presently, may not be of note
But, in due course
Events confer to accomplish what had been foretold.

Your presence is characteristically distinctive
Strong tobacco aroma precedes your being
A sulu wrap-around is all you need
Nudity is not a sin!

But a ketekete
slung loosely on your back –
Is an added attribute:
Its contents however remain hidden from view

Your visitations are unscheduled and unrestricted
What use is modern jet –
When you can get to places – far and wide
With just your flying mat?

You visited dad after he reprimanded me for some boyish mishap
Your judgement of the case: that such was inept
You decreed that you would take me away for good should it re-happen
I’m glad to say that I am still here until the end.

Since then, you have been my protector – In the legendary sense
And the tale has spread far and wide
So daughter Mereia did feel inclined
Her artistic dexterity to capture your role is sublime

Your painting hangs proudly –
In a land that is not unfamiliar to you
Mereia acknowledged that her hands were invisibly directed
Your unseen presence was there to complement

The painting portrays your protective role delightfully
You hold the infant lovingly as if in the process of breast-feeding
The infant snuggles comfortably in the curvature of your right elbow
Overwhelming love and peace – the picture bestows.

Your countenance is attentive
It is there for all to see
You don’t need any prompt: you are ever-ready
Your majestic buiniga says it all.

The painting has far more to portray
Dravuni golden beach stretches long and far to the top left
To Naucuni Rock – it comes to rest
Distant Yanuyanu-i-Sau Island sits unaligned – as its crest

Nearest to you and seaward
Two ketekete lie resplendent
The viewer can at least see shape of their contents
But true to form: their identity remains unsolved

Dark green uto leaves dangle free and frame you from the top and right
Their protective shield is merely a cue
That a legendary protector herself
Is on view

Sulu material – bluish in colour to reflect the sea
Complements a piece of brown masi for temporal and hierarchical integrity
For your utility is timeless
Tis for all generations – even to eternity

Mereia is keen to be all-embracing
Your totemic secala has a place in the painting – twice in diagonal corners
Each time – merging into their surrounding
Care however is ensured: their blue and white plumage do not diminish your honours

You now dominate one corner of our house in Paekakariki
But you have a change of scenery yearly
To Vunilagi Vou with Lanuola and Vasemaca
Your periodic reach and sway: make inter-generational mana

As your protectee: that is special privilege
My task is cast in stone indeed
Integrity of Natavasara is that which I uphold
To all those who follow: let it be told.

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Image credit: Bulou (2022), oil on board, by Mereia Carling.