African Tulip Tree

African Tulip Tree

once they borrowed
   this invasive tree,
   brought from afar
      to hawai'i.

     it was imported
from a world away,
once transplanted
   it just got away.

spread like disease, 
      among a flock,
   we heard it so.

   so many things
we do will fail us.

   time will bring
   surprises that
      we cannot
understand.

our great works 
   impress us so.

      new evils
      seem to
surprise us;

but we may 
      still endure.

Coral Sand, Black Lava

white coral sand, 
      wet black lava,
   tropical seas, 
the summery sky!

      every day seems
a wonderful dream.

we eat shave ice
   but not much
      ice cream.


      a secret beach
seems such an idea!
 
down a private road,
(we asked the young
      guard for access, 
      quickly granted)
we were on our way.

   a narrow road on 
      white coral sand,
a gift from the bowels
   of many parrotfish,
   and we are grateful.


      a wonderful
uncrowded beach.
      we carried on,

to welcome shade 
      beneath hot
      sunny skies.

   in black and white,
feeling, no surprise.

Dried Thistle

Dried Thistle

sharp and prickly
to protect herself,

her tender heart,
   broken so many 
      times before.

and so proctected,
   we might also be,

except that there 
      is such a price
to pay for nearly
perfect protection.

      today it snows.
we hunker down,

protected from cold
by extra insulation,
 
   so we can nap on
a winter afternoon.

   a thistle flower is
a beautiful thing,
clearly something
   to be protected..

So Near, So Distant

here is a photo
      a camera 
   wouldn't do.
maybe it could,
but it wouldn't.

      difficult is 
a challenge, 
   something 
we might do, 

   if we try hard. 
      impossible is 
challenging too. 

though we can't 
   do it, we'll try 
      until we die. 

      challenges
entertain us.
      we enjoy
chasing the
impossible.

Old Lava Flow

      forever,
it flowed to the sea:
   hot orange rock,
thick liquid rolling,

   down to the sea,
too hot to imagine.

bright orange
      in darkness,

      flowing lava
   makes such a
festive nighttime
   show for all
   the tourists.

      steam hisses as
   liquid rock hits
the ocean waves.

   cooling boulders
fall even further,

under the waves
   until something
      stops them.

Unknown Fruit

      unknown fruit,
on unknown trees
and i don't know
   what to think.

green on green:
      it makes one 
wonder what
   it may imply:

quick painful
      death or 
maybe delight?

small birds may 
   show us what 
      to taste.

if nothing eats
   the unknown
fruit, we should
      remember:

   nature has a 
certain wisdom.

Downstream View

from high above,
      i look at
rushing waters,

   spilling over
      wet and 
rounded rocks.

our lives too
   sometimes
rush, spilling
   over rocky
       dangers,

   where we
might smash,

breaking ribs
   and more,

      desperately
   struggling in
   wild torrents,
gasping for air.

from cliffside
      outlooks,

   it all looks
      beautiful
and peaceful.

but sometimes
   in rushing
      tumults,
 
      we learn
desperation,

      beaten by
wild currents,
we sometimes
      survive.

Refuge

it was a place
      of refuge
for those who
   broke tabu.

you'd run for
      your life
and you might
live another
   day or two.

   maybe a priest
would instruct
you in the error 
   of  your ways.

and if you learned 
      your lesson,
you might live 
   out your days.

      my world is
much different,

places of refuge
      are few and
   hard to find.

Yellow Roses

      symbolizing
friendship and 
   nothing else,

      yellow roses
 are a message, not
   always welcome.

she wanted red
      roses always,

   from everyone,
(symbolizing love).

she wanted 
      yellow too,
   
finding that
   money helped.

the world could  
   be her party,

      with many
shouts of joy.

she'd have liked that.
   party all the time.

      until it ended.

she will be missed, 
      by somebody.

Open Gate

open gate
   propped up,
leans on
   a fencepost...

   evil fences
   and walls
divide us;

keep good
      people out,
keep good
   people in,

evil fences
   imprison.

   evil people
try to rule
   the world.

      their lies
amaze us.

      fences:
   a tool of
enslavement.

   an open gate
is a good thing,

many gates
      stay shut,
and keep good
   people in.