of strong values
the Buddha says
there are three poisons in life
greed, anger, ignorance.

of greed
where they once came
and sucked everything dry
the awapua'a
one's breath
one's body
one's heart
the kai'a'ulu winds

takes many forms
a greed formed of their religion
the need to convert
with great speed
the Noble Savage
lest they be condemned
to hell

of anger
at the violation
of one of their women
pure and white
in the fairy tale
of their one-mind's eye

oh it's okay
if they beat and kill their own women
but don't let anyone else
touch her especially the outsider
the locals oh no

later they will take it upon
themselves to beat up the jap
scheme to kill
the darkest of them all

of ignorance
when hebden porteus
says whites are superior to other races
the implication: other races are expendible
and later has a building named after him
at the university of hawaii
that's ignorance

when a people believe
that theirs is the one
and only and true god
that's ignorance

when people think that they
have all the answers
that their shit don't stink
that's ignorance