Perfectly Made as You Are

Perfectly made as you are
Do not hide your colors
They are a flag for the fallen
A beacon for the beaten
A signal for the saddened
Uplifting those who are weighted
With the grief of living
Do not hide

Fears quietly allayed due to who you are
There is no need to shout
A voice for the silent
A song for the suppressed
A scream for the downtrodden
Calling up those who are plaited
With the strife of living
Do not shout

In the heat you are the shade, the cold star
Do not dash your cares
A trade for the tormented
A tirade for the unrelented
You are a plaything for the restless
Entertaining spirits whose human breath is plaited
With the life of living
Do not dash

In all things:
Do not hide
Do not shout
Do not dash
Your existence enables mine
Though you may think little of your import
Because your value I do not exhort
Trust: it's in the quiet, the murk
the slurry of creation
Comfort is thine - and mine

The Uncertain Gift

Crying is an uncertain gift

you are adrift

awash, if you will, 

in an emotional swill

When words fail,

enter a dark wale

spilling over time

truth in silver lines

Mocked as weak

labeled for the meek

Don't chide the sublime

God provided our kind

It's no calamity

for humanity

Let go

of the lie you've been sold

The deception of thought

the mind has wrought

can create so-called truth

yet the heart always speaks true

My Beloved Leis

Plumeria with Purple flower (Ribbon Lei) designed by Tracy Harada 

The following is a section, taken from Na Mele O Hawai'i Nei, 101 Hawaiian Songs, collected by Samuel H. Elbert and Noelani Mahoe, published by the University of Hawaii, Copyright 1970.


This is a name song composed by Mary Kawena Pukui for her grandson, La'akea, shortly after his birth on November 8, 1949. The "many birds" are admiring people.


'Ohu'phu wale au iku'i leo
   
   onaona

[I wear my fragrant lei]
                               _
Ku'u lei oh;ohie o na kau a kau.

[My lei cherished in all seasons]
              _
Au mai na maka o ka nui manu

[The eyes of many birds behold]

I ku'uy wehi nani e lei mai
      nei

[worn forever as a lei]



Please forgive any errors, as this is 1) a transcription to Blogger, which does not have a supporting font for Hawaiian and 2) I am not fluent in Hawaiian. I copied the symbols such as the 'okina and the macron (__ above the letter) as best as I could. I also added the bold and the brackets. The layout is slightly different than what you find in the original publication.

Why did I do this post? I needed to test some posting services, and I thought, do something interesting. SO... yeah, I naturally ended up doing something more challenging than probably what it is worth. At least I got a chance to read some beautiful Hawaiian songs, and it reminded me that one day, one day I should as least try to learn more.

If you come from a heritage which has a language other than English, I think you should try to reconnect or explore it. I encourage you. 

I regret not having encouraged my children earlier than now. They are both in high school, and they are, to me, a little disconnected with their grandmother's, and my, culture. My daughter is at least thinking about taking up hula. She would be beautiful at it. I can see her, in my mind's eye.

For now, they are both, still, my special leis, which I wear in my heart.