16 min listen
Meleika Gesa-Fatafehi — Say My Name
FromPoetry Unbound
ratings:
Length:
14 minutes
Released:
Oct 26, 2020
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
What is the story of your name? In this poem, the poet calls on place, ancestors, and history to bear witness to the dignity of their name. They recall how their ancestors “acknowledged my roots grew in two / places” and how their name “is the definition of resilience.” With Black/Indigenous, Pasifika, and West Asian heritage, the poet speaks to those who mispronounce their name: “Say it right or don’t say it at all / for I am Meleika.”Meleika Gesa-Fatafehi is a Black/Indigenous, Pasifika, and West Asian writer. Her work has been published internationally, including in Radio NZ, Nerdy PoC, Djed Press, The Big Issue, Overland literary journal and Endless Yarning. Meleika is a 2019 Next Chapter recipient from the Wheeler Centre.Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.
Released:
Oct 26, 2020
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
Ada Limón — Wonder Woman: What stories or myths bring you strength? This poem tells the story of a person living with invisible chronic pain who finds unexpected fortitude from a girl dressed as a superhero. Their encounter, “at the swell of the muddy Mississippi,” doesn’t have a fantasy ending, but instead finds strength and glory in bodies and myth. by Poetry Unbound