My grandfather’s feet

I have been told that I have my grandfather's feet,

which makes my family laugh.

Wide and unflattering.

Masculine looking;

an odd fit for women’s sized shoes.

I have been told I have my grandfather’s feet.

An intergenerational feature,

one my grandfather owned.

His feet carried him through life

Each step in knowing, connecting and being

Standing firm in his fanua,

with hopes for generations to come

I have been told I have my grandfather’s feet

And I wonder now, from a distance

Can I walk the paths that his feet knew well?

Will I feel his connection to place?

Let me come to know of his hopes,

so that I too can stand firm in knowing “I have my grandfather’s feet”.

Jacoba Matapo