Five fingers spread across our global chart,
Five regions joined, no longer held apart.

Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Europe, Pacific blue,
Five regions, one hand, with much work to do.

We are the voices rising from the din,
Speaking truths where silence long has been.

Five fingers, one hand, refusing to bow,
Crafting visions of justice here and now.

In Nairobi, murals bloom on concrete walls,
While melting Kilimanjaro urgently calls.

Lagos theatre turns cold numbers to life,
Humanising data, raw and rife.

Five fingers, one hand, moulding clay,
Sculpting futures for a niu day.

Chennai fishers cast nets of verse and voice,
Catching power’s tide by conscious choice.

Monsoon winds carry songs to halls of might,
Where suited men squirm at the sight.

Five fingers, one hand, seeds taking root,
Growing movements that will not be mute.

Kingston dancers step with practiced grace,
Revolution and healing interlace.

First Nations’ youth with rhythms clear,
Rap of medicines sent that disappear.

Five fingers, one hand, bridging space,
Connecting struggles, no matter the place.

London galleries hang migrant tales with care,
On walls where empire once declared its flair.

Samoan tattoos speak of ancient lore,
Navigating crises as they did before.

Five fingers, one hand, holding fast,
Weaving futures from the threaded past.

We advocate with fire, not with fear,
Creating change that all can see and hear.

Our art cracks concrete that once stood firm,
Seeds rise through brick, roots grow with earthworm

Five fingers, one hand, reaching high,
Drawing new horizons in the sky.

We speak to power through lens and song,
Through words that right historic wrong.

Our melodies linger when protests fade,
Binding us in bonds that won’t degrade.

Five fingers, one hand, create, debate and play,
A network of change that cannot be swayed.

Together we thrive when creativity speaks,
When advocacy finds the strength it seeks.

When stories become our collective might,
When entertainment turns to lasting light.

Five fingers, one hand, working as one,
Across the Commonwealth, our work has just begun.

The least heard now speak in voices true,
In rhythms compelling, bold and new.

In truths too powerful to be denied,
In voices too strong to be defied.

Five fingers, one hand, reaching wide,
Together. We. Thrive. Side by side.

Artist’s Statement: Five Fingers, One Hand

My poetry has always dwelt in that fertile ground between artistic expression and advocacy, between personal experience and political reality. I write as a woman of Samoan, Tuvaluan, English, Scottish and French descent; as the first Pacific Islander to graduate with a PhD in English from the University of Auckland; as New Zealand’s former Poet Laureate; and as someone deeply connected to the wider Commonwealth family.

“Five Fingers, One Hand” emerged from witnessing the extraordinary power of creative advocacy across our Commonwealth’s five regions. This poem draws breath from real movements, real artists, and real change-makers who understand that statistics alone rarely move hearts, but stories always do.

The Nairobi murals in my poem celebrate the work of Brush Tu Art Studio, a Kenyan artist collective transforming urban landscapes with powerful public art since 2013. Their environmental projects visualise climate challenges facing East Africa, including Kilimanjaro’s receding glaciers.

My reference to Lagos theatre honours Crown Troupe of Africa, founded by Segun Adefila, whose performances turn complex data into human narratives. Their innovative approach to community theatre has made environmental and health issues tangible to audiences throughout Nigeria.

The Chennai fishers casting “nets of verse” reflect the Tamil Nadu Women’s Collective’s work with fishing communities. These women have used oral traditions and poetry to document coastal environmental changes and bring their concerns to government forums.

Kingston dancers step with “practiced grace” in tribute to the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica, founded by Rex Nettleford. For decades, their performances addressing social issues have shown how traditional movement can powerfully articulate contemporary challenges.

The “First Nations’ youth with rhythms clear” acknowledge Indigenous hip-hop artists like the Snotty Nose Rez Kids and collectives like RPM (Revolutions Per Minute), who use music to address healthcare access issues in their communities, connecting local struggles to global Commonwealth experiences.

“London galleries” that “hang migrant tales with care” reference both the Tate Modern’s exhibitions highlighting Commonwealth migrant narratives and organisations like Autograph that consistently platform artists exploring postcolonial identity.

The “Samoan tattoos” speaking “ancient lore” honour master tatau practitioners like Su’a Sulu’ape Paulo II, who maintain traditional practices while exploring how they connect to contemporary Pacific challenges, including climate change.

These examples form part of a Commonwealth-wide creative ecosystem. The Commonwealth Foundation’s arts programme has supported numerous creative practitioners through initiatives like the Commonwealth Short Story Prize and grants, fostering networks of creative advocates across regions.

“Five fingers, one hand” is more than a poetic refrain—it’s a methodology for understanding how our diverse creative practices form a unified force for change. In my work with poets, performers, and visual artists across the Commonwealth, I’ve seen how our specific cultural expressions, when brought together, create something more powerful than any single approach could achieve.

My hope is that this poem serves not just as celebration but as invitation—an invitation to recognise the creative advocacy happening in your own communities, to support these expressions, and to understand that art is not a luxury or an afterthought in our movements for justice. It is, rather, the beating heart of change itself.