Describe a decision you made in the past that helped you learn or grow.

They donned white polos and ironed black trousers

Caucasian-looking, my curiosity was piqued on the swing we sat

The pair asked for glasses of water the afternoon was searing

I queried their backgrounds being expats not giraffes

‘We’re from Camarines Sur’, piped up one of them

Pronouncing the province with a twang didn’t help that time

‘Sorry?’

He repeated it twice, my cousin reacted yikes

‘I’m from Australia’

Dunno if he believed me though they weren’t lies

I joked about them being TNT

‘What’s that?’

‘Short for Tay-go nang tay-go’, I told them

They didn’t get it so I let it go, mate

I’ve understood more of their faith

I finished Tara Westover’s memoir four years ago she was no oaf

Trended on the best sellers

Struck a chord as I battled in her shoes

Mormons serve two years of mission work

Haven’t seen The Book of Mormon I shun watching plays and the long queue

Besides Tara, they boast world class sportsmen

Large Brigham Young University in Utah perfect for new notables

A presence in Hawaii

With the surf and sun, you’ll hear the whoosh

In the eighties, Danny Ainge anchored their hoops and baseball programs

A rare two-sport pro, the sharpshooter was automatic at the charity stripe

Won chips in Boston as player and executive

Closer to home, rugby league’s Will Hopoate flies their flag he’s not vexed

Calm and composed unlike his firebrand dad

Took up his mandatory mission, played Origin, a model performer no dud

Sometimes, Mormons scurry around Sydney

Converting gentiles, yes

In Brazil, they’re swaying Cariocas

Neither evangelist nor hypocrite, with my Catholic belief I won’t sink.

• From my debut poetry collection, Musings, pages 27-28