Friday, May 13, 2022

Contact Zone

'Poem for the week' -- "Contact Zone":

Contact 

That’s when two stuff 

Touch, yeah? 


Just like when the tides come in 

And touch the shores

Bringing what it will. 


Fish from the deep 

Limu from the shores 

ʻOpihi from the rocks 

Coconuts on the drift 

Logs from the continent 

People from around the world 

Plastics and ʻopala of all sorts. 


The shore has no choice 

It has to accept 

Whatever the tides bring. 


Here we are 

In this swirling muliwai 

Of ideas and manaʻo 

Philosophies and spiritualities


Like the tides 

Ebbing and flowing 

The shore has no choice. 


But we do!

-- Imaikalani Kalahele