Hawai‘i Literature & Art
— Since 1978 —
With a wire scoop ladle, Magdalena fished golden-brown four-pointed stars out of the simmering oil. This time it didn’t matter that the crab rangoons were Pinterest-imperfect. After setting the bowl onto the table, she popped one into her mouth and gasped. Too much red pepper flakes. She double-checked the recipe. Teaspoon, not tablespoon. “Julio, don’t…
Caleb clutches his mother’s leg. With the clash, crash, and boom of brass gong, cymbals, and drum, the white lion dances closer. Its head whips out at the circling crowd. His mother’s outstretched hand holding a folded dollar bill disappears into the lion’s gaping maw. Eyes shut, Caleb screams into his mother’s thigh. A hand…
“Why’re we stopping?” “This the best place.” Skeptical, Esme opened the door, careful of the guardrail. There, she stood in the narrow space between. They had parked just before the exit curved down, merging with Farrington Hwy. The high school was visible still, but the neighborhoods…. There were no houses or streetlight poles, only shingled…
In March 2000, Dad, Sis, and I moved into our new home. One spring day, Dad walked in, carrying our three voter registration cards; he had an impulsive idea. On September 23 and then again on November 7, we piled into Dad’s PreRunner and drove down to our polling place, Ho‘ae‘ae Community Park. Dad, Sis,…
Triggers: #2: he never takes his eyes off the; #5: some dreams are just that, dreams; #4: that would have been it for my career; #6. you start thinking about… stuff. Gloss: Apsara: celestial maiden. Devidasi: temple dancer. Sadir: ancient (and lost) dance. Word Count: 258.
Blurb: BR issue #73, Spring 1998, New Moon prompt: 4. What do you know about love? Word Count: 253
Year of the Snake Contest entry. August. 931 words. Trigger: #3: Denial of Death; #6: A Personal Name. Gloss: Aysus Mariosep: ‘Jesus, Mary, Joseph.’ An expression in which one takes the holy family’s names in vain. Kuya: ‘older brother.’ Honorific.
Year of the Snake Contest entry. 500 words. Triggers: #2, 8. Gloss: ina: mother; anak ko: my child; wen: yes; ama: father.
Year of the Snake Contest entry. Triggers: #2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, & 11. 248 words.
Still no Lightning under glass. Year of the Dragon Contest piece. Trigger #6: Allowance. Word count: 200.