Death is Life
(To Kuovatisi – in memory of Yvette Po’uhila)
Life
as fragile as a dewdrop
resting on the edge of a leaf,
as delicate as a fine mat
woven by patient hands,
each strand carrying the love
of those who came before us.
Life
thin as tapa cloth
fluttering beneath the morning sun,
yet strong enough
to hold our stories,
our laughter,
our tears.
We walk this earth
with hearts made of flesh and memory,
loving deeply,
knowing that nothing we hold
is ours forever.
We are Life,
Yet Death walks beside us,
Death shadows us,
from our first breath
to our last.
The Bible reminds us
that we stand but a step away from Death.
Death moves around us like the wind
invisible,
yet felt upon our skin.
It lingers in hospital rooms,
in empty chairs
at family gatherings,
in photographs touched by fading light.
Yet sometimes death arrives gently,
like the final embrace of a mother,
like the kiss of a loved one
pressed softly upon the forehead,
a farewell carried on trembling lips.
And sometimes death comes like a king,
commanding what no one can refuse.
Life is a wind of many journeys.
It carries us northward
toward the laughter of children.
Southward
toward burdens we bear for those we love.
Westward
toward dreams that glow
like the setting sun upon the sea.
Eastward
toward hope rising anew
with every dawn.
We follow these paths,
gathering memories like shells upon the shore,
filling our hands with love,
believing there will always be another day.
But when Death calls,
the winds grow still.
The compass loses its voice.
Dreams, responsibilities, hopes, and plans
scatter like leaves after a storm,
And we are carried
beyond the horizon of this world,
guided by a current older than time.
Our ancestors teach us
that Death is not the end.
Beyond the veil stands
Hikuleʻo,
Guardian of our souls,
Guardian of Pulotu,
keeper of grief and remembrance,
wearing the many faces
of those who mourn.
In her eyes live the tears
of every mother, father, child, and friend
who has loved and lost.
For Grief is born from Life herself.
If there were no Life,
There would be no parting.
So we wear our masks,
hiding wounds that words cannot heal,
learning to smile
while carrying oceans of sorrow within us.
Yet beneath every mask,
Life remains.
Life endures in memory.
Life echoes through generations.
Life lingers in songs,
in stories,
in the footprints of our ancestors,
whose voices still call our names
across the tides of Time.
Though bodies return to the earth,
their lives continue,
woven into our journeys,
carried in our blood,
and remembered in every breath we take.
Life is brief,
like a bird crossing the sky,
like the scent of flowers after rain,
like a wave that rises, shines, and returns to the sea.
But while we are here,
Let us love deeply.
Let us hold one another gently.
Let us treasure every embrace,
every laugh,
every shared meal,
every whispered ‘ofa.
For Death may walk beside us,
Life and Love walk beside us.
and in the end,
Love is Life’s footprint
that neither Time nor Death
can ever erase.
Mepa Taufa-Vuni was born and raised in Tonga before migrating to New Zealand in 2007 to provide her children with better educational opportunities. She is pursuing a PhD at Massey University, where her research examines Pasifika students’ and parents’ perceptions of the most effective practices for supporting Pasifika learners in mathematics.
Mepa is a proud mother of five children, aged 3 to 27 years. She is also a devoted Glamour/Kui to her two beloved mokopuna, Baby Lopeti and Baby Siaosi, who bring immense joy and inspiration to her life.
