Girl

Girl
by Selina Tusitala Marsh

see the girl.
see the girl growing.
see the girl growing in Avondale, West Auckland,
in the 70’s and 80’s.
see her going to school.
Going to school in Avondale, in West Auckland,
in the 70’s and 80’s, in multi-cultural suburb,
in a multi-cultural school.
Going to school with other Samoans, and Tongans, and
Niueans,
and Fijians, and Tuvaluans,
see the girl
never seeing herself
or her mates
in books
in stories
never seeing herself
or her mates
in books
in stories
never seeing her face
in the “literary mirror”
see her “see Jack and Jane run”.
never Siligi or Tavita
never Pua or Ioane
never Lelei or Luka-Fa’amanu
see the girl
see the mirror
see me.