He mokopuna tēnei nō Rongomaiwahine, Kahungunu rātou ko Porourangi. Nei te ngākau iti e mihi ana ki ngā wai o te Manawatū e tiaki i tēnei uri nō te rawhiti. Tihei Mauri Ora!
Born in Stokes Valley, grew up in Napier, living in Palmerston North.
But home will always be the coast.
I am wahine māori
Born from greatness yet,
merely a grain of sand in the depths of an ocean
I am a māmā of a Māori and Tongan boy fluent in his roots
here I nurture wisdom of old, today
A servant to the public by day
and a maiden to the stars of writing by night
I create poetry from my whakapapa
to challenge my own thoughts
and share some of yours
My voice is precious
and so are your ears
But I share because my tūpuna told me to
Nei te ngākau iti e mihi ana
with a humble heart I acknowledge you
KāingaStories is the manifestation of my wildest dream. I have always wanted to create some type of platform where I could share my passion for writing. It is the healing tool I never knew I had. This space is my contribution to our people. As māori we each have a koha / taonga that the world needs. Sometimes our superpowers don't wake until we greet the unknown, embrace the fear, move with conviction and stand in our mana. It is the hardest yet most rewarding space to be. It ignites the fire in my puku, it wakes my ancestors and it builds my mokopuna. This journey is more than creating poems or affirmations but exposing and encouraging each and every one of us to stand in our magic and just be. Kia māori noa te tū ki te ao.
Paiana Whaanga