Hawai‘i Literature & Art
— Since 1978 —
Buzzy’s Lounge, a time warp of a cocktail lounge a few minutes away from the old Hilo Airport. Jon, the head bartender, is putting away the bulbous Hurricane, Tropical Itch and Blue Hawaii glasses. We never use these tourist things, no make sense why da boss like put ‘em out everyday. He could almost hear…
Aloha kākou , I’ve got one more story in me for Hawaiian History Month. An excerpt from Hannah Grace: A Second-Generation Missionary’s Daughter “One day, after the rains, I felt I had to leave the congregation and my family. It wasn’t who I was anymore, who I became. I wanted to live with the kanaka……
Aloha BR ʻohana and readers, This is Hawaiian History Month. I often ask myself, what do I know about our monarchs? How did they shape our history? How do our history books shape them? This is my manaʻo. We Five Kings: Nā Kamehameha ʻElima ʻEkahi The legend, the conqueror, the naʻi aupuni, filled our history…
It’s kaukau time at Tutu chan’s house, she taught me how to save every grain of rice when you wash and every grain from the pot when you save leftover rice. She treated each grain like it was a tiny, gold nugget. At sunset, we would sit on the front porch. The steady buzz of…
My challenge was the Golden Shovel: A newer form, inspired by Gwendolyn Brooks. I took a line from an existing poem and used each word as the end word in my own lines. This is the line from the poem I chose. There is no greater sorrow than to recall our times of joy in…
Food near but far Gaza markets Old war no die
We thought was going be pau by Christmas Dey nevah like start for talk yet Dey said gotta teach lessons People no mo kau kau No mo hospital Da land bus up. How you feel? My tale Pau
Aloha BR ‘Ohana, Missed the deadline of last month’s Shoots assignment. I composed a poem based on an ancient tale of the Māori people called Rona. The English translation follows. Hope you enjoy it. A tale of ancient times in a drought-ridden ʻāina. Te Kete, te Tahā Wai ā te Rākau Ngaio Kore wai…
Aloha BR readers, If you nevah read “Lomeo and Iulieki — one pidgin tragedy” part one and part two, mo bettah go back and catch up. Bumbye going be too confusing. Part Three Lomeo had blood All ovah his white t-shirt. Dat same night He wen sneak up Da big, white plumeria tree Fo…
Aloha BR readers, If you nevah read “Lomeo and Iulieki — one pidgin tragedy” last month, mo bettah go back and catch up. Bumbye going be too confusing. Da two sweethearts wen make one plan One secret wedding in Vegas, Some day. But fo now, Iulieki gotta go back home Bumbye da maddah and faddah…