My Secluded Beach

The stylized clouds
....rest gently upon the Pacific horizon
....as the blue-gray sky awaits first light.
Haleakala rises behind
....where the demi-god Maui1
....again holds the sun at bay.
The isolated white sand beach
....stretches around the cove.
The once molten lava, now black,
....is worn smooth by thundering waves.
Able to restrain the sun no longer,
....Maui again lets go.
Quickly, the first beams of day hit the breakers
....reflecting brilliant whiteness.
Soon the coal black rocks sparkle and gleam
....as if turned into exquisite diamonds.
Reaching up, I can almost touch the blue sky.
In return for this awe-inspiring gift,
....all I can do is exclaim,
....“Thank you! Thank you!”

Comments: We all have special memories. This poem is written about such a memory on our first day on Maui. The secluded beach is about 160 yards from the cottage where we stayed. (To read more about the origins of this poem, please read the vignette below.) A version of this poem was also written into the Kai Hale (our cottage name) Logbook. (Please see Recommendations for comments about the cottage.)

1
Hawaiian legend tells the story of the god Maui climbing up Haleakala to trap the sun. The purpose was to force the sun to agree to longer days for part of the year and shorter ones for the remainder, thus, creating the seasons.


Beach entrance just at sunrise
A portion of the beach
Rocks reflecting early morning sun
Some of the best windsurfing in the world
Lunch at the Ulupalakua Ranch General Store
Back road to Hana (NOT for the timid)
Maui Senses

Days are filled with tropical hues,
....azure, magenta, coral, indigo, to name a few
Scintillating scents of
....gardenia, ginger, tuberose, and more
....permeate the air.
The brilliant blue above
....matches the Pacific far below.
Pitch-dark nights are
....broken only by natural light.
Coastal towns
....from busy Lahina to laid-back Paia
....offer a multiplicity of ventures.
Beaches welcome every ilk and kind,
....even au naturel for those so inclined.
The greens of Upcountry
....shade the steps to the past –
....100 year old churches,
cattle country, ranches,
....and small general stores.
From above, Haleakala stands watch
....over all.

Comments: If you have been to Maui, you understand what a special place it is. The air has a fresher smell and the colors more intense. We chose to move away from the hustle of Lahina and stay in Paia. For my morning Tai Chi lessons I drove to my instructor’s home located in what is called Upcountry, the area along the sides of Haleakala. While Paia is laid back, Upcountry marches to an even slower pace. Of course, the abundance of beaches and adventure options assure you of many choices and options. But wherever you are on the Island, you cannot escape the influence of Haleakala – from the weather to the simple act of driving from one location to the other.


Leviathans of the Sea

These leviathans cause mere humans
....to pause in awe
....as whales merely do what they do.
How can such majestic creatures
....glide so smoothly through the water
....and yet with a few strokes of their tails
....breach 30 feet or more into the air?
Some argue, they are more intelligent than humans.
If so, one humpback,
....like a great Shakespearean actor,
....plays the crowd,
....breaching again and again
....smiling at the antics of those watching
....graciously accepting the cheers and adulation.

Comments: A variety of Alaskan and Japanese whales choose to winter in the straits around Maui. The reason is that the warm waters allow the young to grow strong before having to weather the cold of the north. You can park at a number of lookouts along the road and observe whale activity. But, choosing to take a whale sighting tour allows you to observe these creatures in close proximity. The particular tour we were on turned out to be quite spectacular. One humpback breached (rose out of the water) 15+ times. We cheered at the spectacle. Even the captain of the boat was quite astonished, stating that she had never seen such a display.

Shakespeare having fun!

A New Maui Day

The Pacific breeze moves through the palms,
....as they sway and twist to the familiar.
Dependent upon the whims of the clouds,
....rain falls in fine droplets
....offering its life restoring gift.
Unconcerned, the yard sprinklers spray
....oblivious to Nature’s antics.
The incessant waves complete their journey
....depositing debris,
....some from far off shores.
As Sol begins to rise above Mt. Haleakala
....the clouds disperse,
....replaced by a rainbow.
A new Maui day has arrived.


Fusion

On the lounge chair
....gazing,
....the early morning light
....reflects off the sparkling
....blue and white capped breakers.
Song birds and a lone red cardinal
....perform their songs and dances.
The palms shimmer and sway
....from the floral scented breeze.
The Monarchs have awakened.
The cup of tea in hand
....somehow tastes sweeter
....while basking in this fusion of senses.


A Life Snapshot

A child’s cry is heard
....above the Pacific waves.
Underneath a Banyan tree,
....shaded from the intense sun,
....mother and grandmother
....cradle and console.
The beach and mountains
....serve as a background tapestry
....to this all too human scene.
Soon, the child quiets
....and only the sounds
....of the ocean remain.

Sprinklers going ignoring the shower
Endless waves
Appeared across from where I sat and wrote
A life snapshot

Returning to the Primal

The spongy Maui grass inches between the toes.
Movements of Tai Chi and yoga asanas
Bring one closer to Mother Earth
And primordial memories.
Thoughts of youth flood the mind
Of hours spent in the summer sun
With nary a shoe nearby.

The grass is moist from last night’s shower
Adding new senses to tender naked soles.
The soothing, rolling Pacific waves
Add tranquility to the moments
As one turns inward,
Forgetting worldly events
Becoming lost in nothingness.

Time returns.
My soul's refreshed,
Wishing that more barefooted moments
Existed in life.

Comments: I spent much of my early childhood during the summers running around barefooted. Those were times before the hyper hysteria over getting cuts, germs, and infections occurred. Yes, you could even walk barefoot into a grocery store or restaurant without fear of being asked to leave. My recent Maui experiences brought back those simpler time memories.


Resting by the Sea

Time passed so quickly.
So much was left undone.
Now I spend eternity
Resting by the sea.

Comments: There is a small private graveyard near the cottage where we stayed. One of the graves was a short distance from the beach.


My Sinning at Komodo Bakery
in Makawao, Maui

Upon first bite,
....the warm, sugary, Portuguese dough,
....a secret recipe from the homeland,
....releases its essence.
Sweet tropical nectar of guava,
....a gift from the demigod Maui,
....teases already aroused taste buds.
One weeps for lost diets
....as another bite only begins
....to fill the craving
....for these delectable malasadas.

Comments: Malasadas from this family bakery are incredible small doughnut like pastries. See the picture to the right. Sorry, technology has not yet been developed so that I can let you smell the fresh baked aromas or taste these marvelous confections via the Internet.


Makena Beach

Black rocks from molten past
....mark your boundaries.
A mile of fine pale sand
....lies between.
Isolated tidal pools
....teem with life.
In the distance, Molokai
....towers above the blue expanse.
Sun worshippers pay abeyance
....as they arrange their mats
....to best absorb the Maui sun.
A few shy tourists
....hover under iron trees,
....breaking in slowly
....their untanned skin.
Other bronzed bodies
....expose every legal inch.
A mother and small child
....play, kiss, and hug
....as if the only ones
....in the world.

Comments: Makena beach is the last major beach on Maui that has NOT been developed. Locals are vigorously fighting to keep it that way. It is a place of beauty as well as a poet's dream – so many stories were going on. I chose to focus on the mother - child interaction that was occurring about ten feet away. (See the picture to the right.)


Windsurfers

Sails 45° to 30° less or more
Skimming and flying across the waves
The wind the playmaker and taskmaster
An occasional 360º
Crash and burns
Rainbow of colors darting, zipping, barely missing
Amazing to behold
A typical afternoon at windy
Ho’okeia Point, Maui.

Comments: No great thoughts, just a picture image of an Hawaiian experience.

The view where Returning to the Primal was written
Start of beach 50 yards from above setting
The inspiration for Resting by the Sea
Malasadas at Komodo Bakery
Mother and daughter on Makena Beach
Makena Beach from under the tree
Windsurfers at Ho'okipa Beach
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