In the silvery light of morning
when nothing else matters, save the thread
of a cock crowing in the distance; face
of my beloved etched stilly in that pale gleam
before sound, as might have existed
in the beginning, prior to clamorous tires
on asphalt; kettle set to boil dew-encrusted
leaves pinched shortly after sunrise
while the veil into worlds of the waking lifts
along with drowsy eyelids;
By the brilliance of high noon, ti blades
begin to droop, edges curling against
the intensity of tropical sunlight
while I contemplate the arbor,
uninstalled assemblage lying raw
and savage under dull tarps
and scattered leaves dropped
from deciduous overhangs, dappled
with rose and white blossoms lilting
on brisk breezes, harbingers of spring;
Come the waning shades of dusk, paragons pull
out paintbrushes to streak across
the heavens, sometimes carelessly,
though more often as if contemplated
from a distance, stroke here, blot there,
while white-winged egrets soar northward
to bed down in the ironwood-lined cleavage
of tiny cinder cone volcanoes decked
in velvety green.
Dear Bela.. such a beautiful poem and Wonderful Calming scene of beauty..
I think you had your paintbrushes out in your words dear friend, For they brought their own strokes of beauty to each descriptive line..Loved these lines..
“scattered leaves dropped
from deciduous overhangs, dappled
with rose and white blossoms lilting
on brisk breezes, harbingers of spring”
Beautiful.. Spring is being delayed a little as the temps drop again this side of the ocean..
Love and Blessings for a Peaceful week.. <3
Aloha Sue, thanks so much for your kind compliments. Yes, my paintbrushes are definitely in my words; I don’t possess your wonderful talent for brushes, though I could pull out the pastels again if I really wanted to 😉 My energies are mostly spent in the garden these days – it’s so fun to plant and prune here in Hawaii where nothing ever really dies; a reminder of the perpetuity of existence which is ever changing. Blessings to you on this day, dear one – here’s hoping the temps even out a bit for you – it’s that time of year, is it not? Was speaking with a friend on the east coast yesterday – she said it had been in the 70’s and predicted to go back into the teens – yikes. I don’t miss those radical temperature swings at ALL. Something that is new, for sure, in the past 30 years. A reminder that humans are really not in charge, much as they would like to believe. Which I find comforting, actually. Love <3
You are right Bela.. We humans on think we are in charge.. Nature has all the cards and will one day play them and call our bluff..
🙂 Keep in your wonderful garden.. 🙂 xxx Its the best place to be..
<3
It Is. xoxo
Beautiful thoughts, lovely photo. Just like you! 🙂
Aww, thanks so much, Elisa. Aloha to you, wherever you may be … ! <3
Your words never fail to evoke a sense of beauty, Bela. The odd time a terrible beauty, or a wistful beauty…but always beauty. Thank you 🙂
Yes, as Rilke said, “Let everything happen to you; beauty and terror. Just keep on going. No feeling is final.” Great to see you here again, VL <3
Very kind of you…baby steps for me 🙂
<3
I’m carried along on your words, Bela, to strange lands and tropical heat. 🙂
Strange compared to northern New England this time of year, for sure! 😉
🙂
sounds like love’s works have found a way to anchor in that magical place. an ode to the peace that comes within Flow.
Mahalo, Weaver – yes, love is always in the works, in life at home and afield. Today, however, I must rest – too much gardening and I don’t sleep well; body not what it used to be, but better than most, and good enough to endure what I put it through on a daily basis 😉 Thanks for your kind summary of this offering. An ode to peace, indeed. Blessings your way! <3
It seems your day dawns with your majestic ‘eyelids’, which see all the beauty along with the chores…wonderful imagery Bela… Spring evokes it naturally but only a nature lover could describe it so well! Love your choice of words Bela, alliteration at its best…one reading is not enough! Thanks for such a calming piece.
Aloha Balroop: Thank you so very much for your kind attention to how I awaken to my days – yes, beauty and chores are intertwined for me at least – the hardest thing is to rest from what I do enjoy so much 😉 Peace to you on this lovely day! <3
Thankyou for this delightfully evocative glimpse into your day, dear Bela — I can smell the tarps and damp leaves from 7,000 miles away! What are ‘ti blades’, may I ask? H <3
Good morning dear one, many thanks and hoping you are feeling on the mend. Ti blades are the leaves of the ti plant – ubiquitous to these islands. I cannot post a photo for you in this comment section, try as I might – but if you google it, you’re sure to see them. Often green but varieties range through every hue, they grow quickly and provide beauty and shade when planted under a roof’s dripline – I’m glimpsing them now as I write to you from my office window. Ti bends with the wind like a palm and the leaves are easily culled when they become sunburned or simply old. Then the plant grows taller still. When they tickle the roof’s underside or flop unduly along a fenceline, one can simply cut them back and two will sprout from the cut end. A secure root system can be home to toads as well, who tuck in to avoid the worst of the hot weather, coming out in the cool and damp of the evening. <3
Ah, thanks Bela! I did Google ‘Ti blades’ before asking, but nothing came up plant-wise. I’ve looked now under ‘Ti plant’, and see what it is: “In ancient Hawaiʻi the plant was thought to have great spiritual power; only kahuna (high priests) and aliʻi (chiefs) were able to wear leaves around their necks during certain ritual activities. Tī leaves were also used to make lei, and to outline borders between properties it was also planted at the corners of the home to keep ghosts from entering the home or property (for which its alternative name: terminalis). To this day some Hawaiians plant tī near their houses to bring good luck.” H <3
Yes, dried ti leaf lei hang in various corners of our home and remind us of a birthday, graduation, special event – no longer solely for ali’i these days. They are most generally given to men, while women receive flower lei, but not always. They keep quite well. And the corner markers after the blessing of a property (home or business) remain, long after the kahuna has left.
Most of the older homes here have clusters of ti planted under the driplines, as I say – and doubtless with a dual purpose. They beautify the landscape without having to spend money – people often share them with one another – and protect. And there are spirits, to be sure. Our neighborhood is especially rich with them.
Glad your search enriched your knowledge of Hawaiian customs, and hope you have a blessed weekend, Hariod <3
I loved reading this and being taken on a journey of what a day in Hawaii looks like. It sounds so peaceful in the morning, just the sounds of the birds outside. Maybe even sunlight filtering in through your windows too. Haha, everyone has drowsy eyelids just after waking up no matter where we sleep and no matter how beautiful that place we sleep in… 😉
Sounds like as the day progresses, Hawaii really wakes up and the sun wants its time in the limelight, lol. I think I’ve heard you mention before that it does rain in Hawaii…but I’m guessing for most part it is sunny. Velvety green. Haven’t heard green being described that way for a long time. I can just imagine lush, rolling green hills and forests everywhere.
It is a lovely place where you live, Bela. Thank you for sharing that with us. Here in Melbourne, Australia, I live in the city but not too far off from the beach and a good hike somewhere less packed each weekend 🙂
Aloha, Mabel – glad you enjoyed the poem. Hawaii is quite well known as a land of rainbows, and so it Does rain, and with our beloved tradewinds, it rains nearly every evening and sometimes with intermittent showers during the day! That’s why any place appears lush and green – it doesn’t happen without plenty of water to keep it that way 😉
You know, it’s strange and surprising to me that people would come here thinking it’s like the Caribbean. Hawaii is an ancient place, rich with its own culture, including a vast array of music as well. It was a monarchy until fairly recently in history; its kings and queens had relationships with European monarchs, too. Its topography is unique and our island’s mountain, Mauna Kea, is taller than Everest and one can be swimming in the ocean while glimpsing snow on its peak, about an hours’ drive away.
And though there are many places to go and hike and swim and such, we tend to stay home in our beautiful gardens to enjoy what we have created here during the weekends. The weekdays are as busy here as anywhere for residents. It is, after all, not an inexpensive place to live.
Enjoy your weekend, Mabel! And thanks as always for taking time to share your thoughts! <3
Rain but there are rainbows and everything vivid green. Snow and sun all in one island, close together. Hawaii does sound like a place in tune with nature, and works with nature to be what it is today. It is my dream to visit at some point, driving all round the island all day 🙂
Thank you for enlightening about the history and past of Hawaii. Interesting to hear it was a monarchy like Australia still is. Enjoy your weekend and next week, Bela. Always a delight chatting to you 🙂
Same here, Mabel! And when you decide to visit, please give me a shout before you finalize your plans, if you want. 😉
How very evocative. I can’t add much more to what has already been said, but I was transported to a different clime and could smell the environment evoked. Wonderful!
Mahalo, Safar. I’m glad you ‘sensed’ the words. It’s how my writing emerges, from my own senses. So I’m pleased you were able to receive it in like kind. 😉
Well, I learned a new word today 🙂
Hmmmm …. now you’ve got me wondering … ?
To know this truth deep within allows freedom and flow. Beautiful Bela 💚💕
Thanks, Karen <3