Dateline: Oahu, Hawaii
Aprile 12, 2018
The whales.
They are dropping off the brats. I have worked out from the early morning calls and crying of the whales, between four a.m. and dawn, that the big pod of parents and relatives have some close-in pool not far from me where they park the little ones while they go off and hunt for food, or do whatever adult whales do. They leave the complaining kids behind in this ‘protected’ spot. For some reason, the kids stay. But they don’t like it, or they are afraid the pod will not come back or move on without them. So, in typical kid fashion, they let those feelings and fears be known.
Now, I am not sure about any of this but it makes about as much sense as anything else I can come up with. I am getting well experienced in being out there on the
Hawaiian Blackbird
lanai overlooking the pool I imagine to be not far offshore. There are two kids. There is one dominant, and probably female, a parent with a bunch of other lesser voices. The kids cry and the pod replies from a great distance. Unfortunately, I never get to see a damn thing. The whole kit and kaboodle are gone by the time first light makes its presence known. And I am awake as can be, their unknown shore-based supporter on his third cup of coffee, concerned and bright-eyed, going into the day until another night overcomes him.
The blackbird returns to eat the small pieces of bread I strew about. The cat door was unused, as I wait to discover who my kitchen visitor is, as life centers in, to become beautiful and meaningful, as it should always be but only occasionally is. This is one of those better days.
Better than what? Better than whatever…
I’ve only shared this with a few…yet, I always felt I belonged to the Hawaiian Islands. Not as a place I’ve fallen in love with, no…it’s as a place that has always loved me! The climate puts it’s arm around my shoulders and says jeez it’s so good to have you here! The banyan trees calling, bickering amongst themselves as to who is taller because they know it’s the one I’d want to climb! The leeward lap of a turquoise cove…waving me pleased,I’d stay a little longer! The black mantis antics preying on my smiles,until having seen enough of them smiles back at me to become the silhouette now leaving you. You, the one who worries for the brats, left by their parents. Not worried only for the call that floats on sounds familiar, yet also for the heartstrings left to dangle longing once to sooth the fears still hidden by the tides.
Jim, you’re an inspiration to a calmer soul… Mahalo
Thank you Me, doesn’t really say it for a treatise like you’ve written here. What a wonderful assembly of words, more like poetry than m ere prose.
Yes, to all of that and thank you so much for the sharing…
Semper fi,
Jim