To Magic

to magic

Every mother dreams of the day her daughter gets married. She prays it’s to a man that will love her with all his heart. A man who will take on…

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Before a Honolulu Sunset

before a honolulu sunset

Every evening, my father strolled along the Ala Wai canal before dinner. Once, during a visit, he leaned over and whispered, I have a surprise. Accompanied by the scent of…

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Stick Figures

stick figures

12Grandmother. Ten years old and I’m kneeling on the carpet next to her. She smells like flowers with English Garden names: peony, jasmine, narcissus; she smells like black and white…

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The Artichoke Women

artichoke women

I love the smell of Artichokes cooking. It’s earth in a boiling pot. It is memories of adults when I wasn’t. It’s the women in my family sitting around a…

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Leaving Words Behind

leaving words behind

It all started with a walk and a dog The dog, Kukui, with his tail that whirls like a helicopter Brisk little legs to lead us down the street his…

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Proof of Life

proof of life

There is a tiny person under my roof this morning.  She arrived two days ago, and I fussed and worried and sterilized and kept the appropriate social distance, until finally…

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The Old Couple

the old couple

Day after day, the old couple down the street climbed into their car to keep it company. Going through the motions of being alive, she whipped around the steering wheel,…

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