Dinner train
First I make our eldest son a steak sandwich
then I ask the younger ones, do you want the same?
my arms are pulling the bacon out of the fridge
and remembering the carbonara I ate through tears in Italy
you text me from the marina and say you are on your way home isn’t it funny my love how you start from scratch as a parent
Your children cannot imagine you had your heart broken in Siena
your children cannot imagine your soul used to feast at the library
your children aren't even your children they are on loan from the atua
your children aren't even your arrows they belong to the quill of time
Waiting for the pasta to boil
I am here tonight and every night
keeping vigil at the oil spill
holding space in the vā
Courtney Sina Meredith is an acclaimed poet, playwright and fiction writer of Sāmoan, Mangaian and Irish descent. Her award-winning books include Brown Girls in Bright Red Lipstick (2012), Tail of the Taniwha (2016), The Adventures of Tupaia (2019), and Burst Kisses on the Wind (2021), with her work taught in universities across the Pacific and internationally, including at UCLA.
A globally recognised literary voice, she has appeared at festivals worldwide and held prestigious writing residencies in Berlin, Sitka, Iowa and Brisbane. Her honours include awards for Rushing Dolls and Brown Girls in Bright Red Lipstick, recognition as Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland Young Alumna of the Year (2021), and an honorary fellowship in writing from the University of Iowa.
A respected cultural leader, Meredith has led organisations including Tautai Pacific Arts Trust, RainbowYOUTH and the Publishers Association of New Zealand, and is co-director of Kim Meredith Gallery, championing creative equity and Pacific arts leadership.
