Grace Taylor is a poet, spoken word artist and teaching artist of Samoan and English heritage. This Auckland raised afakasi women has been playing with words since she was 14 years old and performing since 2007 from South Auckland to Edinburgh. Co-founder of the first youth poetry slam in the country "Rising Voices Youth Poetry Movement" and teaching spoken word. Grace debuted her first collection of poetry "Afakasi Speaks" in 2013 with Hawaiian publisher Ala Press. She will feature in the Auckland Writers Festival 2015 and debuts her one women theatre show "My Own Darling" with Auckland Theatre Company in October 2015.
Link to purchase debut poetry book,
Link to 'My Own Darling' one woman show details,
Held
Full blood rush running
for months
tear soaked till I am
bone dry
I return
to the ocean in me
exchanging salt for salt
my lips drenched wet enough
they become dry
silencing my speech
offering me the chance
to
just
exist
I am held
by the weight of what I can’t hold
knowing I am enough
aches, pains and all that is ungraceful
this moment
so rare
Storm of a Woman
(inspired in a Apirana Taylor workshop)
Hissing glass laughs
slap her face
as the gods throw stones
at her empty bucket
Her arms house voices
full fat as horses veins
bulging rock solid
She presses her feet
deep into the bloody grass
soaking up crosses of fallen men
A storm of a woman
Mother Genealogy
I am of a Mother genealogy
holding others
like skin to bone
our love
the muscle your flex and stretch
women conditioned to the ache
not allowed to break
We have become religion
A lineage of
the good women
too good to hold on to
the good women
you feel you can’t live next to
too long
We know how to love
but too often say goodbye
The mother
that became your father
not by choice
Born with forgiveness milk on our tongues
we fore-give before we have even begun
give for you
for you I give
always pouring
spilling
for you
You like it when I speak like this
empowering you
you like it when I spill like this
offering to you
haven’t I offered enough to you?
A Good Woman’s work is never done
even when she feels un-done
