Hawai‘i Literature & Art
— Since 1978 —
Another lifetime ago I was nine, and you were red, wrinkled Like a monkey born shrieking. You grew pixie-like, happy to tag along On blue-sky days in the park, Not knowing how much my friends and I Longed for days without you. You tell me I was the smart one, the good child Always…
Yellow Moon The night air feels cold against my skin, Abrupt and firm, Prying open slumbering eyes. Moving away, away from the flickering yellow. Yellow swarms of so many lightning bugs. Away from the yellow shard under the closed door. Away from the jaundiced eyes that burst into the room. Red faced, bloated beast Hungry…
Whatever goes in never gets out– objects disappear like water that circles a curved sink round and round draining to gravity so powerful to a curvature so extreme it stretches space and time its velocity exceeding that of light– bent, twisted light unable to escape. Objects enter this black bottomless pit churning violently–overconsumption flares its…
the first time i fell in love wasn’t known to me until much later, after the god of time had passed me by. my mind blurred the lines of infatuation and adoration of loyalty and learning until i didn’t know which was which. I tottered forward on baby legs into a world unknown…
home. home is the warm brown in your eyes, the feeling of your skin upon mine, the dance of your fingers across the bareness of my skin. home is the shine of your teeth, the glow of your cheeks, the way the light glimmers as you sit in the sun. home is the…
Loke Swims Like Ka poʻe Moananuiākea Oceania’s people. Where do they come from? We’re all supposed to be one beeeg ʻohana. That’s what archaeologists say. Transported On the first wave Transported on the first broad current like seeds in the wind, scattering scattering. On the sinking islands of Moananuiākea. Loke ponders. Who were they? Who…
Once, walking through the forest where the Bayan Tree Plaza stands today, I stepped on a branch with a thorn so long and strong it penetrated the sole of my sneakers and drew much blood. Once, diving off a wooden bridge near the lighthouse at Hana, I came up stepping on an aged Wana, one…
Happy May to all of you. May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This reminds me of something that we don’t emphasize enough here in the Bamboo Shoots realm. We welcome writing in any language. If you choose to add an English translation as well, that will help you reach a wider audience…