Fall Equinox 2016

As the days approach balance with the nights I find a calm interlude to give thanks and appreciate all my lucky stars. The universe is abundant.

I have accumulated an abundance of haiku. My goal this summer was to write one a day; some days I got carried away spewing them out. I’ve gathered about three dozen into a little chapbook titled

 “A Scattering of Haiku”.

1000 year old friend

Always advises to boldness

Grab their attention

Here are a few new haiku: 

Haiku syllables 
five, seven, five wrap little 
gift of awareness

Do nothing each day 
letting go of time will give 
abundance of time

Boldness is not brash 
Nor is it rude. To be bold
Is to fill the need
(for Diane, Sept 12, 2016)

Spontaneity
living life in the moment
it all takes planning

And some of my summer favorites:

Snatch and pin them down

Words of iridescent hue

Butterfly language

This is my piece work

Selecting and stitching words

Into peaceful web

Words still can create

Mind ships to carry away

Reader to herself

Lamenting his choice

Clockwise or counter-clockwise

Island biker sits

Photo taken at Honolulu Museum of Art with Guanyin; I am holding Kathy Phillip's delightful book of poetry titled "This Isn't A Picture I'm Holding: Kuan Yin"

Paintings

SUMMER Solstice 2016

And a rare solistice too, first time in 70 years the summer solstice coincides with a Strawberry Full Moon. I plan to celebrate with strawberry short cake! Our longest day of the year down here near the equator is 13 hours and 25 minutes.

I used to write lettters, now I'm an occasional post card or greeting card sender. This blog is my attempt to communicate on a personal level in an impersonal media. Kind of a futile effort that I question but keep attempting. I'm not willing to let go of the idea that there are people in this world who would like to hear from me. I do not know how many people on my blog list actually receive the email blast with this link that I send out when I make a new posting; many spam filters probably toss it out. And I know there are other friends who have decided not to read blogs just as I have decided not to participate in facebook. So if you  are reading this, thank you, mahalo. Comments are always appreciated.

I've had the pleasure of having friends and family visit me this year as well as my getting to visit friends on Molokai - only 40 miles across the channel from Oahu but a whole different world. The peace there is so complete that you can hear the whales breaching and slapping their tails at night. That was a new experience for me. Life is good when I can discover another pleasure that I didn't even know I was missing.

I love all the activity of living in a city, Honolulu offers plenty. However seeing the stars at night and sleeping in a quiet space is also tempting. I'll let you know if I move to Molokai.

     Night on veranda
     Silence broken with splashing
     Whales play in moonlight

Spring Equinox 2016

March 20^th is the official date for Spring Equinox this year, but here in Hawai‘i the day/night hours were equal on the 15^th.

 

I started this season again with fireworks. The Honolulu Festival brings in a fantastic show – better than New Years for sure.

 

This is when the sun rises due east and sets due west.

 

And the afternoon Mānoa Rainbow always pleases me, even in the rain!

 

 

View from my front door.

 

 

Wishing all a lovely spring

 

 

 

New Year's Day 2016

On January 31st I went to visit Guanyin at the Honolulu Museum of Art. She has been sitting in "royal repose" for over 1,000 years, and I always feel like she is expecting me; I'm always welcome to drop by and talk story.

A perfect start to the new year: fire works at midnight in Waikiki; a blessing and good fortune from local Shinto Shrine that opens from midnight to 3AM on the first day of the year;

then couple hours sleep before heading out to view the sun rise at Makapu'u.

With the sounding of conch shells, traditional chants and the driving energy of a Taiko drum we (many thousands of us) watched as the sun rose over Molokai 40 miles across the channel, and Haleakala more than 100 miles away. Sunrise photo by my friend and professional photographer, Debra Casey. (You can't get a shot like this on a cell phone.)

There can be no doubt that these islands are sacred, entitled to reverence and respect. 

Then, to make it perfect, whales were swimming and spouting just past Makapu'u lighthouse.

Winter Solstice 2015

Greetings and Happy Winter Solstice 2015!

             Winter
     time to sort your seeds
     all things clearer in the spring
     chose for new harvest

Thank you for inquiries about my lack of posting to this blog. Everything is well. I have been channeling my writing energies into a couple of creative writing courses at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. I just finished my second chapbook and have extra copies. If you would like one please let me know and I’ll mail it to you.

It will be three years the end of next month since I landed in Honolulu from New Zealand. I seem to have adapted well. Come visit, enjoy paradise while we can. I keep exploring; this is the end of bus line "C", the Country Express.

There are wonderful museums and lots of events as Honolulu is a fairly large city. I read all the time – many favorites, but most memorable is Kill My Mother, graphic novel by Jules Feiffer. And of course I love film. There is one theater devoted to art film and one multiplex that brings in films other than Hollywood; but I have to be quick as they don’t stay long. Just saw “The Assassin” a Chinese film with next to no dialog. A gorgeous, visual poem set in 8^th century – every frame is a masterpiece.

On weekends I sell my art at the zoo fence; mainly pineapples and palm trees. http://www.artonthezoofence.com/

This has proved to be a nice little community of artists. Recently I've also joined up with Urban Sketchers; an active group that goes out and about to draw together. Most fun so far has been drawing with them in Chinatown on First Friday. 

 Life here is very much the same as it has been for me everywhere I’ve lived, EXCEPT the climate is fantastic; sunny, warm water to swim all year, trade winds to keep temperature mild. And we were very lucky that with all the hurricanes in the Pacific this year, none hit the islands.

I am very grateful to be here and in good health to enjoy it.

I hope you have a very happy holiday season and that the year 2016 is good to you!

 

 [this little whimsy was inspired by the peel of a clementine]

Summer Solstice 2015

Greetings from sunny Honolulu. I'm happily settled into the slow pace of life here. Still doing my art and doing more poetry. I managed to complete a chapbook in May which took many more hours than I expected. The following poem is from it.

The World on A Whim

Once upon a time long ago at the Oregon Country Fair where our neighbor, Ken Kesey shared his acid with us; I met a crone of many colors sitting beside the biker camp. She read my palm and foretold my travel around the world.

            I proceeded to forget.

Now I am that crone without the wonderful colors, nor the ability to see into the future. She was right, of course I go in circles small and worldly. Not planned, not even wished for; it all happened as a mere whim; surprising friends, worrying family. Once I had the sudden desire there was never another option. Within six weeks by letting go of job and apartment, giving away art, throwing out accumulated paper; I embarked from New York City alone, around the world, hop by hop, with only my small backpack.

            Later my friend, who was there, remembered the palm reader for me.

My route wound through the magic of Marrakech; skirted anger and yelling in the Cairo airport; welcomed by majestic people, land, animals between Mt. Kenya and Mt. Kilimanjaro; then the chaos of India's Golden Triangle; and ultimately the re-entry shock of Australia. There, beyond probability, I was in Cairnes experiencing my whimsy - viewing the total solar eclipse on the Great Barrier Reef.

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Wishing you all a wonderful summer. A hui ho!