This poem is inspired by the Be Jijimo Gallery at the National Gallery & Art Museum in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. The museum gives this explanation written by Professor John Waiko for the term be jijimo: “Be is literally ‘mouth’. Jijimo is ‘sustaining continuity’. Jijimo may be used by a person who has only one sucker of a particular taro variety; then jijimo is absolutely essential. He must sustain the sucker or that variety of taro will be lost to the community. In the legend, Rirowa, the husband gave the advice, ‘be jijimo’, keep the fire alight by blowing on it. But used as an abstract term, be jijimo means ‘sustaining’ or ‘keeping alive by word of mouth’.
be jijimo
I open my mouth
and pencil comes out
in descending diagonal lines
slidenotes aiming to
capture the essence
of what it’s like to be
here now
