Fine mat artisan
Once it was destiny
To weave your life between
The silky strips of pandanus
So that the toils of a lifetime may be etched
Into the intricacies of tradition.
Twice it is destiny
To pare livelihoods
From the creations of your hands
Every criss-crossing overlap
A link to survival
In this world of changing designs
You created finery out of rite
And traded barter for a living
In the finesse of a fine mat
Sao fa’alelei