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IV What Are We Here For?

1
Europeans say of themselves
that they came to do business: to trade,
to collect produce, solicit island labour.
What are we to make of the vision of a ship that stays beyond the reef,
shoots to kill,
and leaves?

2
Bêche-de-mer and copra, we push
our lips around new tongues—did we expect this place

to lay itself inside our mouths, so that we may never
be rid of the taste of it?