The Hawaiian

From the land unknown

He stands strong and alone

With Kahilis reminding each and everyone

That his rank cannot be undone

Mind, body and soul; he is completely naked

Maka'ainana respects the decisions he makes,

Placing kapus on which he considers to be sacred.

Repeated chants, so consecrated and religious

Acknowledging the Gods of Nature

Its' sacredness lead him to be conspicuous

Physically intact, he finds time for leisure

His solid frame enables him for a time of war

Feet planted firmly on the ground,

Any offense will cause no emotional scar.

©1988

Channeling Poe

What's an English class in high school without studying the infamous American writer, Edgar Allen Poe?  After the class read and critiqued Poe's last complete poem "Annabel Lee," we were instructed to compose our own edition.

Annabel Lee

We were both young

So young and so in love

That growing up never seem

Worth thinking of

I loved her with a passion

A passion that couldn't be denied

Was this the reason why

She had to leave me so

She left me standing

All alone

My heart filling full of doubts

And no home

Apparently at sixteen years of age, I mostly thought that poems were written to sound like an 80s pop song.  Not until many years later that I grew more comfortable in my own skin that I then became more comfortable with the words and rhythm of poetry.

High School English III

Not sure what this poem was about but, I remember my instructor at the time really dug this:


Carousing students fill my ears,
The glare of the sun
Beat upon my shoulders,
The feel of concrete beneath my shoes

Old and gray with years,
Peeling paint is everywhere,
Ruined by weather,
But people just don't care

Green and wild
Vines crawling their way
Not caring where it goes,
Having no destination

Weak knees, the
Pounding in my ears,
Blocking out what I want to hear
Everything slowly turns hazy,
Then black and quiet

The gentle breeze
Blows with ease,
Releasing pressure,
Savor the moment

Assignment: Write a Bio Poem

It's kind of weird to be back on this page.  I noticed from my last post that it has been a few years.  One of my younger cousins brought me back here - not directly.  A few months ago, we were chatting about her writing discipline (or lack of rather) when she casually asked me about my own writings.  I don't know... I just stopped writing.  The more I thought about it, I realised it has been about fifteen years ago since I last wrote.  Does time really travel that fast?  Yes, why, yes it does!  Incredible.  I remembered my collection of writings stored in my hometown and told my cousin that I would retrieve it for her.  I did just that this past weekend - but just the first step.  I only managed to grab a three inch thick binder full of poems.  The other stories that remain in boxes will have to wait.

What I believe to be my first poem ever written was an assignment in high school.  The instructions were really simple and corny.

Just follow the formula below:
Line 1:  Your first name only
Line 2:  Four adjectives that describe you
Line 3:  Sibling of, or son/daughter of
Line 4:  Lover of ... (3 things, people or ideas)
Line 5:  Who feels ... (3 items)
Line 6:  Who fears... (3 items)
Line 7:  Who would like to see... (3 items)
Line 8:  Resident of (you city and street or road)
Line 9:  You last name only

So here's how mine's turned out...

shelly
creative, fun, shy and moody
sister of may
lover of pizza, all kinds of music, all kinds of b&w movies
who feels bored to death when I don't have anything to do, frustrated when I have to think too hard, angry when people smoke in elevators or closed-in places
who fears getting sick, jumping off a cliff or a tall building and dying
who would like to see my future before it occurs, other countries besides Europe (not counting Italy), all people in the world at peace with each other
resident of wahiawa
bonoan

In a way, I haven't changed much from my teenage views.  But, it's also comforting to me knowing that I have grown.  I have decades worth of these writings to sort through, some I know are cringe-worthy, however, I'll share as I go along.

Speechless (...my mouth is full)

Okay, I admit.  I have been eating a lot more than I have been photographing.  I really can't help that.  In this sense, I happen to be the luckiest girl in town having a partner who not only enjoys cooking but, loves to feed me.  Wow.  I really don't think I could ask for much more.  Actually, I don't think I even should!  I don't.  Yet, I'm continually blessed with exciting international flavors and delighted even more that she ventured into dessert-making.

Tonight's surprise delivered Southern Indian Coconut Chicken Curry with Turmeric Lime-Infused Rice and Spinach.  It was slow cooked so the tenderized meat fell off the bone to the touch.  Yes, I photographed it...

I'm glad that my partner is only now getting into baking desserts.  I'm happy to taste test any of her health conscious modified recipes.  These granola bars beat my usual chocolate Clif bars any day with double the oats, almonds, walnuts, coconut oil, dark cocoa powder and chocolate chips, a bit of Burmese salt, raw organic sugar and honey.  Damn...

Happily, I don't have much else to say.

Befriending Kanaloa, Hawaiian God of the Ocean

Boy, did I get sun burnt yesterday!  I didn't plan on it, of course.  Coming from Hawai'i, it's not habitual for me to slap on sunscreen before stepping out into the sunshine.  It's been awhile since I've stayed outdoors participating in leisure activities since most of my weekends I'm running errands, keeping appointments and dining out, all of which consist running to and from indoor locations.

It was a gorgeous Saturday with ample cool breeze down at Spitting Cave.  The ocean sprays crashing upon the rocky shore certainly helped with keeping the temperature down.  Whale-watching was cool.  The water was choppy from the winds and it became a game of spot the whales.  Things got a bit exciting when we saw a sea turtle reunion, and even more exciting with flying fish followed immediately by a pod of dolphins.  The dolphins impressed me most with their beautiful synchronicity.

Armed with just a 50mm, I was 2 seconds behind from capturing this swift pod.

My cousins visiting from Alaska also taking their shots of the whales, dolphins and sea turtles.

I think what got me sun burnt most was the impromptu hike at Makapu'u Lighthouse Trail (beach path) where we scampered over boulders, scaled a rock wall and dodged ocean sprays.  Yikes!

All in all, it was an incredibly true adventure for yours truly...

Let's Talk About The Weather

Was Sunday really Easter?  Today actually felt more like Easter.  I know I went into work today, but it still felt like Easter to me.  Downtown was practically empty as if it were a normal weekend and traffic was - wait a minute, where was the traffic?

The weather is slowly warming up and I can't wait for summer to arrive.  The days will be longer and our leisurely breakfasts out on the balcony will stretch into the next mealtime.  Yesterday's brunch was just a preview of what's to come.