Hawai‘i Literature & Art
— Since 1978 —
Martin does jiu jitsu–his focus and determination to optimally position, counter back and secure submission earn him a blue belt, first level. Martin dances hula–inherits from his kumu or source, a connection to his Hawaiian culture and spirituality–giving life to the flow, motions, and language of ancestral storytelling. Martin is Hawaiian. He is also gay,…
I tested positive for Covid the other day First with an at-home test kit which I never fully trust And then confirmed by one of those pop-up test sites, Trust in the home test was affirmed, Much like learning to trust the GPS to unknown destinations. I feel shame about this Like I did…
An Ordinary Yet an Extraordinary Man A Memoir of My Father By: Holly Sumida “You know someone is an ordinary yet an extraordinary person if he or she leaves an imprint in your heart that never leaves your side. What a gift my dad has given me!” Dedication To my Dad: Dad, you are…
They sit bent over a creaking teak table top, this old pair aged out in days, near the limit, eating simple fare with well used wooden hashi, worn as dull knives good for slicing soft things. Rice, picked vegetables, and a piece of fried fish, savored by both, this plain meal makes enough, their lives…
Growing up my favorite fairy tale was not about Cinderella, Rapunzel, or the Little Mermaid. My favorite fairy tale was not the ones told by Disney, Grimm, or Anderson. My favorite fairy tale was not a tale at all. It was not fiction but fact. With her dramatic flair, my Mama Ming would recount the story…
It’s kind of amazing how fast I start feeling normal by starting my day in a neighborhood among normal people who prepare to go normal places and do normal things. And how good and normal “normal” can feel. Do Kerouac and Kesey feel normal? Would they feel normal tooling around Boston behind the wheel of…
I want to say this again, friends. Submissions to the monthly contest may be written in any language you choose. I would make the recommendation that you also provide an English language translation so that your work can reach a wider audience, but that is completely up to you. Feel free to submit a piece…
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…