"I'm a theorizing PI
I'm a strategising PI
I'm a published in a peer reviewed journal PI"
But at the same time
"I'm a slot machine PI
I'm a lotto queen PI
I'm tote-ticket church bingo TAB PI"
Does it make sense? It doesn't seem logical but it's the way how things work, the way how Selina Tusitala Marsh sees herself and her own identity.
I was deeply impressed by her poem "Fast talkin' PI", in which she expresses her own feelings and tells people about who she is. To me, Selina has been successfully identified herself, not just in one but in different aspects and she's totally proud of it.
"I'm an independent PI
I'm a flag-raisin' PI
I'm a fa'alavelave lovin' givin' livin' PI"
And
"I'm a lazy PI
I'm a p-crazy PI
I'm a hard drinkin' hard speakin' where my eggs? PI"
Selina considers herself lazy, p-crazy, hard drinking but then she's also independent and a caring living person. That's the thing I love about the poem. It's straight and honest. There's no metaphor in it but still, I can see an imperfect yet loving person and that's what Selina wanted to show people about who she is. The phrase "I am", which is repeatedly used at the beginning of every sentence throughout the poem, emphasizes her confidence about revealing her real personality, her real self-reflection.
She identifies herself by the way she looks
"I'm a red-lipsticked PI
I'm a big-haired PI
a multi-coloured, stilhouetted fafafine PI"
The way she acts
" I'm a dub dub dub PI
I'm a bebo PI
I'm a good lookin', face bookin' hookin' up PI"
The way she expresses her feelings
"I'm a crying PI
I'm a laugh too loud PI
I'm a my jandal your mouf derek-wannabe PI"
She also sees herself "a lover PI", "a mama PI", "a breast-feed till they tell you I'm done now! PI".
However, the poem is not only about Selina. She's a woman. She's a human. And she's also a representative for her country, her peoples. That's why:
"I'm a BA PI
I'm a MA PI
I'm a PhD, BCOM, LLB, MD PI
I'm a bi PI
I'm a gay PI
I'm a cross-gendered, soul-blended, mascara'd PI"
Selina is speaking for everybody, every single person in her community. She understands her background and she's proud to be one of them, to be a PI.
Identity, to me, is no only about the features on your face. It's also about how you see yourself among people. It's about how you feel about the place where you come from, about the environment you was brought up in and about the culture you was initially exposed to. And Selina has conveyed the message about her identity powerfully her writing.
"I know how to be in this world
I know how to feed in its water
I know how to read the stars and sea-birds
I know how to live off poetry
I know how to give it away"
And she does give it away, with all her emotions, her feelings and her love for her culture. And that's Selina - a fast talkin' PI.
I'm a strategising PI
I'm a published in a peer reviewed journal PI"
But at the same time
"I'm a slot machine PI
I'm a lotto queen PI
I'm tote-ticket church bingo TAB PI"
Does it make sense? It doesn't seem logical but it's the way how things work, the way how Selina Tusitala Marsh sees herself and her own identity.
I was deeply impressed by her poem "Fast talkin' PI", in which she expresses her own feelings and tells people about who she is. To me, Selina has been successfully identified herself, not just in one but in different aspects and she's totally proud of it.
"I'm an independent PI
I'm a flag-raisin' PI
I'm a fa'alavelave lovin' givin' livin' PI"
And
"I'm a lazy PI
I'm a p-crazy PI
I'm a hard drinkin' hard speakin' where my eggs? PI"
Selina considers herself lazy, p-crazy, hard drinking but then she's also independent and a caring living person. That's the thing I love about the poem. It's straight and honest. There's no metaphor in it but still, I can see an imperfect yet loving person and that's what Selina wanted to show people about who she is. The phrase "I am", which is repeatedly used at the beginning of every sentence throughout the poem, emphasizes her confidence about revealing her real personality, her real self-reflection.
She identifies herself by the way she looks
"I'm a red-lipsticked PI
I'm a big-haired PI
a multi-coloured, stilhouetted fafafine PI"
The way she acts
" I'm a dub dub dub PI
I'm a bebo PI
I'm a good lookin', face bookin' hookin' up PI"
The way she expresses her feelings
"I'm a crying PI
I'm a laugh too loud PI
I'm a my jandal your mouf derek-wannabe PI"
She also sees herself "a lover PI", "a mama PI", "a breast-feed till they tell you I'm done now! PI".
However, the poem is not only about Selina. She's a woman. She's a human. And she's also a representative for her country, her peoples. That's why:
"I'm a BA PI
I'm a MA PI
I'm a PhD, BCOM, LLB, MD PI
I'm a bi PI
I'm a gay PI
I'm a cross-gendered, soul-blended, mascara'd PI"
Selina is speaking for everybody, every single person in her community. She understands her background and she's proud to be one of them, to be a PI.
Identity, to me, is no only about the features on your face. It's also about how you see yourself among people. It's about how you feel about the place where you come from, about the environment you was brought up in and about the culture you was initially exposed to. And Selina has conveyed the message about her identity powerfully her writing.
"I know how to be in this world
I know how to feed in its water
I know how to read the stars and sea-birds
I know how to live off poetry
I know how to give it away"
And she does give it away, with all her emotions, her feelings and her love for her culture. And that's Selina - a fast talkin' PI.
Hi Lucy,
ReplyDeleteI think you do a good job engaging with the text in your analysis here.
You make some very good observations.
Any idea what kind of 'identity' Selina could be addressing here, rather than her own individual view of herself?
Hi Lucy,
ReplyDeleteHave a look at the lines again:
"I'm a lazy PI, I'm a p-crazy PI,
I'm a hard drinkin' hard speakin' where my eggs? PI"
In first person point of view a narrator/character can be talking about perception, and superimposed perception, as much as they are talking from 'themselves.'
As Esther's question ask: What kind of identity is the writer addressing here?