Spoken Word Poetry Workshop by Zech Soakai

The Lowdown

Learn how to express yourself and share your thoughts and feelings through the art of poetry, in this easy to follow spoken word workshop hosted by Zech Soakai.  

Zech is a published poet who began learning his craft in community open mics held out across South Auckland and stands on the shoulders of many giants before him. 
His work can be read in the anthologies: Rapture: An Anthology of Performance Poetry from Aotearoa/New Zealand & Katūīvei: A New Anthology of Contemporary Oceanic Pacific Aotearoa New Zealand poets. His work can also be seen at Tāmaki Paenga Hira (Auckland War Memorial Museum) & digitally on YouTube.

Learn how to express yourself and share your thoughts and feelings through the art of poetry, in this easy to follow spoken word workshop hosted by Zech Soakai.  

Spoken Word Poetry Workshop - Zech Soakai | The Lowdown Aotearoa

Spoken Word Poetry Workshop - Zech Soakai

Te kore, Te po, Te ao Marama by Ivy Lyden-Hancy

In Te kore, Te po, Te ao Marama, 17-year-old poet Ivy Lyden-Hancy's words speak to her identity as a wahine Māori in a changing world. Surrounded by the lasting impacts of colonisation, Ivy paints a picture of the Aotearoa that was, and that one day could be.

In Te kore, Te po, Te ao Marama, poet Ivy Lyden-Hancy's words speak to her identity as a wahine Māori in a changing world.

Te kore, Te po, Te ao Marama - Ivy Lyden-Hancy | The Lowdown Aotearoa

Te kore, Te po, Te ao Marama - Ivy Lyden-Hancy

i walk through concrete rivers 
Wairoa lingering through powerlines
surrounded by rakau 
which has been manufactured 
manipulated 
into the warmth of one’s home 
many homes 
white picket fences and 
sky tower brown 

as i look up to pukekiwiriki 
laying at the sickle of this maunga 
i imagine i am my tupuna
our tangata from before
surrounded by rakau of lush forests 
While melodies of te manu engulf me in its mana 
While wahine moving through grub and fern 
stripping the white man's grass off all infinite crossways 
i replace it with kowhai 
                                  pohutakawa 
                   kauri
pikopiko
all things Māori 

to be Māori is to imagine aotearoa before colonisation 
to be grounded amongst papa 
amongst the kumara pits
their flagstaff will fall 
a tohu that we have taken our whenua back 
our tikanga 
our tangata
holy hands of concrete statues will reach out to me 
amongst the rubble
 they will speak reo pakeha 
a constant reminder of what they have taken from us 

in that we will remove the ink of our ta moko
unbury the mass graves 
remove our taonga from the museums 
reclaim our reo 

they will be at the end of our pū
our rangatira behind us on the path they have paved 
tapu tinana 
tapu wairoa 
aotearoa te tapu whenua 
amene

In 'A Body Apology', 16-year-old Angelina Faupula addresses the struggles that we face to accept our bodies with their flaws and differences, the impact of a society that tells us that only their version of 'perfect' is acceptable. 

In 'A Body Apology', Angelina Faupula addresses the struggles that we face to accept our bodies with their flaws and differences, the impact of a society that tells us that only their version of 'perfect' is acceptable.

A Body Apology - Angelina Faupula | The Lowdown Aotearoa

A Body Apology - Angelina Faupula

Iho u’afa sisu kalaisi
in his name 
formless yet formed us 
in his image

But the image I see is not what I like 
And these thighs i see are too big 
And this face i have is not small enough 
And the stomach that I have is not small enough
Expect me to trust a mirror that only sees skin deep 
A mirror that responds only with what it sees 
But doesn’t learn how i've carried myself 

Confusion stench 
Wondering why people mock 
Gods greatest creation 
Judgemental outcomes of envious lions 
And tigers claw scratches 
On our hips 

The reflection of the sea 
Embedded deeply into my skin 
That rips through 
This sacred temple 

Sacred 
‒‒a word only given to women 
To hide the fact they do not want you to see all of them 
Tremble in fear incase giving pieces of them will break a part of us 

To camouflage this God given gift 
they replace with hate they have for this body 
The same body that's carried the weight of my heart 
Even when my legs were giving up 

But even still
We criticise this imperfection that makes even the angels jealous 
My body scarred with more comment than scars 
I’ve apologised more times in my head then i have out loud 
But i get you’ve never gotten an official apology 

So I apologise to this body that was made by god
But still somehow not made to feel like it was enough
I apologise to this body for the moments I have forgotten to give gratitude
To the quiet times it has held me up

I apologise to this body for all the lies that I took as truths

My body is not an apology
And I will no longer apologise

In 'ii - The Vessel', Laith Alawneh speaks to the whanaungatanga we hold with our whānau, our mātua and our tīpuna, and how our relationships with our loved ones evolve with us as we grow.

Laith is 17 and resides in Tāmaki Makaurau. 

In 'ii - The Vessel', Laith Alawneh speaks to the whanaungatanga we hold with our whānau, our mātua and our tīpuna, and how our relationships with our loved ones evolve with us as we grow.

ii - The Vessel - Laith Alawneh | The Lowdown Aotearoa

ii - The Vessel - Laith Alawneh

Family is a body
a vessel of life
each vein and artery plays a part
with each breath taken
love courses through your vessel
reminding you of who truly loves you
from the day of conceivement 
you were the heart

and your mother’s love flowed through you all the time
you used the wisdom 
that has been passed down through 
generations of warriors to guide you
touch, you learnt your fathers touch in his absence
knowing that it’s okay to be gentle

and you can plaster his pain across your skin but the body finds a way to heal itself
you learn to appreciate his absence
as he has gifted you life, and passed on your mind

as your mother births again, 
she cannot flow her love to you all the time, 

                it would be selfish of her

so your siblings lay in the hand of your vessel 
they help steer through the stormiest nights 
but sometimes they need you to take charge
so you cut them, so they can regrow into a better version of themselves

we take a lot of first breaths: shock, fear, excitement
with the conceivement of your own
the breath you take when you see them
opens your airways to a new dimension 
they become the heart of your vessel
and you breath for them, without them life can not be lived

as time continues
your mother will no longer be able to flow love through your heart 
and slowly the vessel collapses
but you live on in your son’s vessel
and if any part of your vessel is missing, the vessel will collapse
and that’s how life is


In 'NWA', 17-year-old Lisa Tuulima emphasises the importance of friendship as a source of comfort and connection in a world that can often feel isolating. The poem speaks to finding support in each other's company and being able to be yourself without fear of judgement.

In 'NWA', Lisa Tuulima uses the power of spoken word to highlight the unique bond of true friendship and how it provides comfort and connection in a world that can feel isolating. 

NWA - Lisa Tuulima | The Lowdown Aotearoa 

NWA - Lisa Tuulima

Lost
in a world not made for them
thinking all we have is only one another
pieces of ourselves are missing
constantly failing to acknowledge only
I know what pieces fit together
to make me, me
and you, you
to cry without forcing laughter
to drop an outworn mask
is to truly show you the REAL me
it's to show you
I am human
something we use our humour
to replace  
and call "tough love"
the kind of tough love we received growing up
projected all throughout our friendship
with a hit of bus therapy
every now & then
when we realise
we catch up
with everyone else around us
but we never actually catch up
with each other
tho unaware we quite like them
just socially awkward
but we're quite like them
in the crowd 
But it’s less lonely here
Coz at least we have each other
To whisper secrets to through secret glances
And mock each other 


Ever since she was a young child Callida knew she was different to everybody else in her life, but for years she didn't understand what that meant for her. Watch the video to hear Callida share her journey, beginning as a rangatahi, toward understanding and owning her identity as a proud trans wāhine.

Join Callida on her journey towards self-discovery and owning her identity as a proud trans wāhine.

Manioro: Callida's Story | The Lowdown Aotearoa 

Callida's Story

Let's start with thinking of health as a state of wellness. We can think of wellness as choices, ways of being and activities that provide balance in our lives that improves our whole self; mind, body and wairua. As we evolve and grow and as our environment changes, our state of wellness may require adjustments. It's helpful to think of a state of wellness as flexible to what WE need WHEN we need. This gives us room to explore and try new practices, connecting with different support and resources.

Everyone has mental health. Mental health is a part of your hauora, it’s the wellness of your mind, your thoughts and how you feel. On any given day, the state of your mental health can be really good, okay, a bit up and down, feeling a bit low or really struggling, and it can change quickly and massively based on all the things that happen in life, both big and little. It’s often complicated because everyone’s experience of it is personal and unique.

Our hauora is not individual. It’s a weaving together of our whānau, our whakapapa, our connection to the world around us and our beliefs. This helps us form an identity that connects us to our past, grounds us in our present and lifts us up to the opportunities our future holds.

It means that we’re a part of something bigger than ourselves, and within this we can find people who care and support, stories that uplift us and help us to feel connected and heard, and a sense of belonging and acceptance of who we are.

Your mental health is closely linked to how you think and feel about yourself and others, how you create and manage relationships and friendships and the ways that you’re able to cope with the ups and downs of emotions that you face in your everyday life.

If you’re feeling good, you might say your mental health is all good right now. If you’re feeling down, anxious or confused, you could say your mental health is struggling or just a bit shitty at the moment.

Sometimes your mental health can be impacted by things that you can’t control. These can include sickness, injuries or other impacts to your physical health, systemic inequalities, the way other people act or treat you, hormones or other chemical changes inside your body, and even the time of year, temperature and weather.

Your mental health doesn’t always stay the same.

There are many factors that impact our mental health and shift the balance between feeling good and feeling down or having a hard time as you move through different stages of your life. These challenges may come and go over time, they may be short or might last for many years. Everyone’s experience is unique and different from everybody else and can be heavily impacted by things like your culture, your family and your identity. You might be able to bounce back from a tough experience while someone else may feel weighed down by it for a long time and both of these responses are normal.

The one thing you always need to remember that you’re never alone in what you’re facing. People care about you and want you to be ok, and they may have a better understanding of how you’re feeling than you realise.

Positive mental health is often connected to having a sense of purpose, knowing who we are, being able to do the things that matter to us and feeling connected to others. This is linked to resilience, which is having positive ways to deal with your feelings, recover from things that impact you and enjoy life even when things are hard.

It’s important to know, though, that having positive mental health overall doesn’t mean you’re excluded from experiencing mental distress.

A great resource to assist with this is the 'Five Ways of Wellbeing' from the Mental Health Foundation 

If you’re thinking about harming yourself or are having suicidal thoughts, 

to talk to someone who cares and can support you.

You may hear the words ‘mental health’ being thrown around a lot in conversations, in the news or on social media. The thing is, you might not know what that means exactly. No worries, we’re here to help.

Mental health is a critical part of your overall wellbeing , but what does that actually mean? Get informed about mental health with The Lowdown Aotearoa. 

Understanding Mental Health | The Lowdown Aotearoa

What is Mental Health?

Non-binary person staring into mirror with the reflection of them made up of multi-coloured jigsaw pieces.

It can be caused by negative messages that we receive either directly or indirectly through prejudices or racism, or it can come from within ourselves when we put ourselves down and tell ourselves hurtful things.

Most of the time those feelings will pass and we’ll carry on with life, but sometimes they can hang around and develop into a more serious problem.

This is something that happens to everyone at times.

There is no single cause for mental health struggles - you could think of them as your mind’s response to having to deal with what happens to us in life and things that have happened to us in the past.

This term might sound intense or worrying to you because of what you’ve seen on Tiktok, TV and social media, but a person who has been diagnosed with mental illness is not broken, crazy or weird.

Mental illness is not forever. There are many kinds of mental illnesses and some only last a short time. Most mental illnesses can be treated and many people who are diagnosed with mental illnesses can live without their condition having much - or any - impact on their lives.

If you’re wondering if you might have a mental illness or just need to talk about how you’re feeling, you might want to have a conversation with someone you trust and ask them to support you in finding a mental health professional. Alternatively, head to 

 to get in touch with someone who can give you advice on what to do next or just listen and offer you support.

What if nobody accepts or understands how I’m feeling?

Sometimes our whānau or friends may not understand mental health. They may make you feel uncomfortable talking about what you’re experiencing, and you might find yourself wanting to keep it to yourself because you don’t think they’ll get it.

Many people don’t feel comfortable talking about people’s feelings at all, even the good ones, and it can be hard to break through that.

If you’re struggling with this, you need to know that what you’re feeling is real and just because they don’t understand or have the right response doesn’t mean that you should stop trying to talk about what’s going on. Look at your support network – who do you have in your life who you can really trust? Identify these people and remember that they’re there for you and want to help.

If you’re unable to connect with your family and friends about what you’re going through, don’t give up. There are people out there who understand and care – you might find support through your school counsellor, maybe through an online community, maybe even a leader in your church or the faith based community you’re a part of, or your doctor may be able to refer you to a mental health professional. If you’re unsure where to start and know you need to speak to someone, check out 

 to speak to a counsellor online or on the phone for free.

There are lots of things we can do to improve, maintain, and support our mental health, help our minds to feel well and help ourselves feel better if we’re experiencing uncomfortable emotions. These things won’t always prevent the hard times, but they can help you get through them. Check out 

We need to make conversations about mental health normal so that we know how to find support when they need it. If uncomfortable feelings affect our thoughts and behaviour in a way that hurts us or others, it’s important that we talk to someone we trust and ask for help.

We all feel a big range of emotions every day. There will be some emotions that feel good and some that we find uncomfortable. These feelings can come from things we have no control over like lockdowns, or whānau pressures.

Life can be tough, but you don't have to face mental health challenges alone. Get support and advice from The Lowdown Aotearoa to help you navigate difficult emotions and experiences. 

Coping with Mental Health Challenges | The Lowdown Aotearoa  

Mental Health Challenges

A young woman with long black hair, a large black shirt and sunglasses stands in front of a house and speaks to the camera.

Mana Pasifika

Aigagalefili Fepulea'i-Tapua'i expresses her passion for the South Auckland, the place she calls home and champions what it means to a young rangatahi Pasifika in COVID times.

Mana Pasifika: South Auckland to the World | The Lowdown Aotearoa 

South Auckland to the World

Saute Aukilani sings me to sleep with the sound of siren jams.
Cos who needs fairytales when we have starriez
as old and coarse as my father's hands.
They say we're dirty.
But pick up a history lesson
and you'll find our blood on their hands.
We're an afterthought.
The aftermath of gentrification of the inner city
and yet still, I'd never trade the big hearts and warm smiles
for houses that look pretty.
Even lockdown can't shake what we have on lock.
So I bet them keyboard warriors are mad they can't recolonise our community
Mad that our spirits don't break under the scrutiny
They thrive on our downfall
But would collapse without us.
When my 65-year old aunty wakes up at 4
to be an essential worker.
But you won't see that on the news.
Cos NZ Herald comment sections
don't know what we know to be true.
Cos what's money compared to mana,
when no silver spoon could reflect the waves of our Moana?
So if you wanna know?
Come take a look for yourself.
Hear blessings slapped across fresh fades.
See the glowing melanin on smiling girls.
Cos no matter what anyone says,
it will always be
South Auckland to the world.

An aerial drone shot of Ōtara Town Centre.

Poet Grace Iwashita-Taylor expresses what it means to identify in Pasifika in modern COVID times. A powerful spoken word piece that embodies the Saute Aukilani mindset. Music from Brandon Haru.

Expressing ourselves is one way that we are able to reimagine our wellbeing together. Enjoy a creative piece written by Grace Iwashita-Taylor and performed by All-star Ngawati-Salaivao with music by Brandon Huru.

Mana Pasifika: Wellness is Community | The Lowdown NZ

Wellness is Community

In an uncertain world, your body can tremble
hustling just to survive
masina pull on the vasa, causing tides you cannot control
when stillness is too far stretched
and your breath is shallow in your chest
to settle your body
it takes a visit, to self, to aiga
to familiar food cooking on the stove, in your home
within a village of safety.
But
when the safety of that home becomes target
when brown is named scapegoat for blame
when your home is the birthplace of the essential workers
keeping a whole nation moving
frontline and front facing a virus yet, still smiling.
When putting yourself at risk, means income
means cupboards not empty and bills paid.
When someone comes from this village mentality
it's not helpful to ask them to heal alone
because it takes a village to be well.
The atamai of the vā
between the village within you
and the village surrounding you.
For children of the moana
wellness, is collective
is listening to the ocean in YOU
and the ocean in WE
wellness is navigation
is tending to our elderly
wellness is balance
is alofa, is love
wellness is a ritual of alofa
wellness is a radical act of love
wellness is village
is honouring your breath
for a collective shared breath
never bloomed but forever blooming
wellness is US.

Manutioriori smiling in front of a teal background with Māori designs on it, she's designed as an anime character inspired by Katara from Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Talking to your parents/carers might be scary, but for Manutioriori, telling someone about how she was feeling was a big relief. 

Discover how Manutioriori found relief and support by opening up to her parents about her feelings. her story serves as a reminder that you are not alone in your struggles and seeking help is a brave step towards healing. 

Manutioriori's Story Part 2 | The Lowdown Aotearoa 

Manutioriori's Story - Part 2

Opening up to my mum about how I felt was a struggle. 
I was scared she wouldn’t know what to do with me or what to say. 
I even thought she would push it all away and tell me to just harden up. 
I usually would just like bottle it up 
Like to me showing grief or sadness, I thought it was weak. 
My grandfather was like a very strong man. 
Yeah I didn’t want to show my weakness to other people. 
Yeah, I just wanted to be strong like him 

I wouldn’t say that she had completely shut down and we weren’t having any conversations.
But there were more regular conversations that were ‘I can’t talk to you about it, I can’t explain how I’m feeling'; I can only tell you what I’m feeling’. 
No matter what tactics I tried, and it’s not like I have a basket full of tactics.
So the tactics that I had, as I was trying them out, that was all I was getting. 
She just couldn’t explain what was going on; it was just ‘I’m feeling this, I can’t talk to you about it anymore’.

Mum made me join the mental health course at Te Kaha O Te Rangatahi, where I met Matt. 
Initially, I didn’t want to do the course because I thought they would be like therapy sessions.
The sessions were filled with laughter and just straight vibes. 
It was a great experience. 
The most important thing I learnt from the course is that not all mental health programmes are negative, just like they are in films. 
It was nice to open up to a group of strangers. 
It was also nice to hear the boys in our group open up, because it is not often that you see or hear boys open up about their mental health. 


The first thing I would say that I noticed is that she started talking more. 
She wasn’t hiding as much in her room. 
I wouldn’t say we went from her not talking to instantly she was telling me everything, but it was small steps, you know. 
She could explain to me slowly why she was feeling the way that she was or she was talking to me about things that she would talk about in the sessions with Matt you know. 
That was sort of the biggest thing was that she started talking and started opening up.

I was scared I might do something to myself so I started so I started properly talking to my mum about how I felt and telling her if I was having a bad day and needed space. 
We of course talked about the bad days I was having and it felt nice to be able to talk to my mum about my mental health and just ranting to her, doing this created a well-needed bond with her.
I was tired of not talking to someone so it was good to finally have someone that I know won’t judge me. 
I remember there was this one time me and my sisters were really struggling after he’d passed and we were upset at my grandfather.

My mum decided to pack us all up and we went off to Taupiri to go yell at him because that was a coping thing for us. 
We couldn‘t physically yell at him but it was still a bit therapeutic sitting there just yelling at him in our heads. 
At one point when we were there I felt like he was there with us it felt like his presence was there and that was really nice.
I’m still working on my mental health but I’m pretty sure everyone is the same. 
My relationship with my mum is so much better than it used to be. 
My relationship with my brother and family grew stronger throughout this whole journey. 
I’ve started properly coping with my mental health. 
I also use photography as another way to cope and started watching anime. 

I think that she is doing really well. 
I mean, life is never perfect. 
Challenge is always going to come her way, but she talks about things. 
She’s like “oh mum what do you think I should do in this situation?” you know so we definitely talk. 
I’m really happy at the fact that she, so far, is comfortable to talk to me about anything that is going on in her brain. 
Whatever she feels is affecting her and changing the way that she’s feeling,
she’s comfortable enough to talk to me. 
And that’s a huge achievement compared to where she was before she started the programme and started her little journey. 

I was expecting her to like, um, push me away and not want to talk about it. 
But she was really open to talking more about it and making sure I was okay.
Mine and my mums relationship is way better than it used to be only because I talk to her more. 
My mum's like my best friend; I tell her everything. 

I think I haven’t got it down to a tee.
You know, I’m learning every day with every new problem that gets thrown at me. I’m learning. 
It feels good to be on the other side. 
One thing I probably wish I had have done better at the time would have been to talk to people about how I was feeling. 
As time has gone by, I suppose I’ve learnt that just as much as they’re learning from being born to walking and going to school, parents are learning too. 


Spoken Word Poetry Workshop - Zech Soakai

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