A Glimpse of Hawaii

A tunnel of branches with leafy green shade Arc over the winding quiet road On our windward island’s side Heading toward the north shore Where giant waves treat surfers To the thrill of a lifetime in winter season. Look deeper into the tunnel of leafy branches To espy the trail of ants busy at work And see the gecko capture his breakfast roach. Look beyond the giant surf Down through the teal colored waves And see honu swim with schools of fish, In unison, as they go about their exciting day. One cannot help but sense that deeper flow, That serenity of our island’s glow, Which surges forth through verdant Flapping leaves with bright bananas Peeking out, or not be moved by radiant blossoms Of varied hues of the ever blooming China rose. As the sun rises over Diamond Head And birds take flight--to any soul’s delight-- They begin their chatter amidst the fluid air, The day begins just as it ends, In paradise. © 2010 Connie Marcum Wong Aloha, and Mele Kalikimaka! (Merry Christmas!) Gecko: is a small, mostly nocturnal tropical lizard of the family Gekkonidae, usually having toe pads that can cling to smooth surfaces: the largest species, Gekko gecko, is sometimes kept as a pet. ________________________________________ Honu: The Pacific green sea turtle is called honu ________________________________________ China rose: Another name for Hawaii’s state flower the hibiscus ________________________________________ Side note* The Pacific Green Sea Turtle Did you know that all the hatchlings in the nest of the Pacific green sea turtle are either male or female? The sex of the turtles is determined by the temperature of the nest. Cooler nests produce a clutch of males, while warmer nests produce females.