Tama Tawhai

Tama won the 2024 'Spirit of the Slam' award in Hawkes Bay and in lieu of a personal bio, would like to share a poem they wrote. This work is to pay homage to an organisation called Khaya Community Therapy that ran a retreat Tama attended at Taruna College in Havelock North.

As an advocate for this amazing organization for people suffering from PTSD/Trauma, Tama wrote the below poem to one of the facilitator's Misha Joy Clark and her colleague (and co-founder) Kelly Whitewood wishing the next group a great healing weekend ahead.

"My name is Tama Tawhai. I am a survivor of sexual abuse. Below is my tribute poem celebrating my recovery and this poem is a dedication"

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Reset, Revive, Renew

Wishing you blessings and aroha for the day ahead

Opening your hearts , your wairua, be guided and maybe tears to be shed,

Releasing the emotions to provide the path forward,

Extinguishing the shadow doubts that sometimes move us backward,

Using our breath and our bodies will follow,

Invigorating our soul for a better tomorrow.

For I was a collection of trauma based people,

Huddled together in a healing space steeple,

Finding fortitude and trust crushing anger and sorrow

These words I dedicate to well being immunity

And pay homage to the organization called Khaya Community Therapy

Now post retreat A victim I was

Navigating therapeutic containers to fill my cup

My pores open

My mind settled

The connections imminent

Creative and poetic pathways open

I'm a healing vessel

now I just can’t shut up