Palauan, not a thing,
But a state of being,
Is capability
And is freedom.
It is a being
Equipped to act
And to react.
A center in itself
It hangs onto nothing.
It takes freely
As it sees fit.
It discard freely
When no longer needs.
It is freedom
It is ability
To use and discard
Act and face
New Realities.
It is dynamic
And it grows
In many directions.
A person's just a person,
Palauaness is a state
This person hangs on to.
This person ceases to be Palauan
As soon as he fears new learning.
Palauaness recognizes changes
As part of its growth.
And it sheds skins when necessary.
It recognizes its identity and
Adds new skin to itself each day.
It is inventive and adoptive
And employs new terms along the way.
It looks to the past only for advise.
The basket of today is
What it preys on.
It welcomes new techniques,
As means to achieve,
And make firm, efficiently,
But a state of being,
Is capability
And is freedom.
It is a being
Equipped to act
And to react.
A center in itself
It hangs onto nothing.
It takes freely
As it sees fit.
It discard freely
When no longer needs.
It is freedom
It is ability
To use and discard
Act and face
New Realities.
It is dynamic
And it grows
In many directions.
A person's just a person,
Palauaness is a state
This person hangs on to.
This person ceases to be Palauan
As soon as he fears new learning.
Palauaness recognizes changes
As part of its growth.
And it sheds skins when necessary.
It recognizes its identity and
Adds new skin to itself each day.
It is inventive and adoptive
And employs new terms along the way.
It looks to the past only for advise.
The basket of today is
What it preys on.
It welcomes new techniques,
As means to achieve,
And make firm, efficiently,
The essence of its being,
The foundation it needs,
To explore the future.
The foundation it needs,
To explore the future.
Hermana Ramarui (20th century) Palau
Source: Analysis of Meaning,Content and Style: poetry from the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau by Kimberly Kay Au, Pacific Islands Studies Plan B Masters Projects, 1991
Source: Analysis of Meaning,Content and Style: poetry from the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau by Kimberly Kay Au, Pacific Islands Studies Plan B Masters Projects, 1991
hello! by any chance, have you come across Hermana Ramarui's book? if yes, let me know how to access it.
ReplyDeleteHi. I assume you mean her book "The Palauan Perspectives: A Poetry Book"? I don't think it is available any more, though you might find it second hand on Ebay, World of Books, etc. It is available in some libraries - see the WorldCat listing here: https://search.worldcat.org/formats-editions/41462345
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