One Hundred

One Hundred
by Marion Lyman-Mersereau

Mrs. Taba,
next door,
turned one hundred
on the eighth day
of the eighth month.
Her children,
grandchildren,
and great grandchildren
were all there
to celebrate
with her twin sister.
Her son,
eighty-one
doesn’t think he’ll live so long
"Too much drinking and carousing,"
he says.
I say some centenarians claim
drinking is the secret to their longevity.
My other neighbors,
Mr. and Mrs. Leong,
lived to be over one hundred.
The water
or land
or trade winds
must be just right
here in lower Manoa.
Not too much rain,
just enough sun,
Konahuanui high above
guardian over the valley.