Lawaiʻa

This is the same spot

Uncle used to bring

me as a kid,

over by the black rocks

on the edge of the reef.

The first time he brought

me here, we caught

so many we sent the

smaller ones back.

Auntie couldn’t believe

her eyes. She said we

were God’s disciples.

Since then, the fish

have been less eager

to swim into my net.

Days pass without

catching anything,

nightfall my clock,

and still, I keep coming

back here to this same

spot by the rocks,

casting my net

and drawing it in,

the way Uncle always

taught me.