William Kelii Kekaula Poet Rhyme

Our Last Hawaii Christmas

VIDEO/AUDIO-MUSIC on YouTube above. NOTE: On the video; double-click to enlarge, and/or, right-click for the drop-down menu and click on 'Loop' for auto-repeat, click settings and pick the highest level for quality viewing.

AUDIO: Song was written by a Hawaiian queen after her king dies overseas, sung by my cousin

*Tree is a Norfolk Island Pine

Our Last Hawaii Christmas

Our home looked like The Munsters house, above town road
the loft's great hall, tall tree stands near mom's grand
cut fresh from our Norfolk pine lot
distant, in the country --
colorful lights, bells, tinsels, and stuffed animals
through the french doors greet eyes beautifully.

Our curved hilltop driveway, white lights held each palm tree
six bay windows, rainbow-hued variables
the roof and dormers shone brightly
front stone stairs glowed, blued watt --
many had helped dad who meticulously planned
his trials made for a simple workload.

Our Christmas eve, *Lau Lau replaced Christmas ham mode
large gifts in the back of the tree, all fanned
while smallest stacked fronted their spot
freed tracks train chugs clearly --
mom wore reds and whites, played the grand, sung madrigals
it's Nineteen-Sixty-Nine, in Hawaii.

*Lau Lau; a small cut of butterfish added to chopped Hawaiian salted pork, then wrapped in taro leaf, lastly, stem-tied-ti leaf-wrapped and (present-day method) in lieu of ti-leaf, foil paper is used then placed in a steam cooker.

*Twas to be our last Christmas in Hawaii (Big Island),
in ensuing months, we lost our home when our great hall
parlor drapes caught fire, our family then moved to
Bath, Maine as it was heartbreaking for our parents
to bear.

2020 December 28th
A Little Memory - My Invented Form
*2nd Place*
~~Constance La France

ALOHA, to our once trimmed Norfolk Island Pines
*Due to our departure, the pines is now a forest, too tall to sell, now hardly sold publically

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Sara Kendrick January 21, 2021 at 4:43 AM Reads like a memorial time in your life. Congrats on this great winner. Sara William Kelii Kekaula January 21, 2021 at 8:55 AM Sara, 'twas a family tragedy prior to the said Christmas and fire that compounded our move, thank you, Aloha!

Constance La France January 19, 2021 at 12:09 PM William, congratulations on your win in my contest, A Little Memory using my invented Rhyme form, wonderful poem, I like it a lot and the music was great _Constance William Kelii Kekaula January 19, 2021 at 2:05 PM Thank you, Constance, as it is always a joy whenever I aspire in meeting one of your wondrous challenges my friend, Aloha!

Linda Alice Fowler January 1, 2021 at 7:15 AM A beautiful memory William. So nicely penned. A very blessedness year to you my friend! Linda William Kelii Kekaula January 1, 2021 at 8:03 AM Thank you, Linda, so kind of you, and a Happy 1st new day, Aloha!

Harry Horsman December 30, 2020 at 10:05 PM Love the poem, William, so much to learn about cultures throughout the world, poetry like this goes a long way to help..All the best for the New Year. William Kelii Kekaula December 30, 2020 at 11:07 PM Thank you, Harry, and if you should ever cross a menu that serves 'Lau Lau', give it a try, Aloha!

Kim Rodrigues December 29, 2020 at 10:36 AM Nicely done! So sorry for your loss by fire! You will always have your aloha connection. Kim Rodrigues December 31, 2020 at 7:46 PM hau’oli makahiki hou! Loved my time on Oahu. In fact it’s my daughter’s birthday today. She was born at Tripler Army Medical Center. I could hear the New Year’s bells ringing that night. God bless ya, my friend! William Kelii Kekaula December 30, 2020 at 11:04 PM Thank you, Kim, sadly, I'm the last member of my family, and (temporarily) moved back to our island home as the kids are all grown, Aloha!