Beholding at the Sunrise from the Top of Haleakalā
Set your alarm for 3am to catch the bus; hang on as
the road up is narrow and bumpy.
Wear a warm coat and mitts; it’s cold at 3000 meters.
(Don’t be that fool in shorts.)
Listen as the elder shouts at the sky in Hawaiian,
welcoming the new day and wishing us all good fortune.
Remember to bring a charger for your phone
as you’ll be capturing hundreds of photos.
Shadows creep slowly over the ocean and climb
Haleakalā as the crowd, speechless, sighs.
From the golden orb breaking the horizon until
the long shadow of the volcano grows over the valley,
we welcome this day as if witnessed for the first time and
it just gets better and warmer and more perfect.
© June 2020
Four Ways of Looking at the Totem Pole at the Royal BC Museum
The Thunderbird, it is said, takes human form by opening
his head up like a mask and taking his feathers off as if a blanket.
Self-contained and strong-willed in nature, the grizzly bear
holds copper to show off his wealth. He gets by with few friends.
The beaver teaches us to be persistent and to use what’s around us,
to value each team member and work towards harmony.
Dzunukwa, with red pursed lips, wants to steal the children to eat
so keep them safe and far away. When she appears, the show is over.
© June 2020
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