1849
King Kamehameha
of the Kingdom of Hawaii
entered into the Treaty of Friendship
with the United States
1893
businessmen and sugar planters
overthrew the monarchy by forced abdication
of Queen Lili'uokalani
and United States troops invaded
the Hawaiian Kingdom
The Restoration Agreement
was never implemented
Business as usual!
William Charles Lunalilo
First King, chose by the people
Grandnephew of the Great King, as the people vote, was unanimous
Next year, King Kamehameha the Sixth died of tuberculosis
Hawaiian marriages are coconuts
Apple's eye, orchard nigh--girls uppercuts
Bees concede and confess
Honey is not the best
Lunalilo stings in-laws -- blood and guts.
Pacific divides paradise from lies, pulpit denies, missionary connives, fleece, devise hoax, and shanghais,
The native's supplies for whalers, all dives. At times, pearls for wider eyes, command contrives to control their lives.
Kings II & III foresaw their greed, the lands were a need to wed and achieve access was their way to succeed,
Lunalilo was short-lived, the people he decreed, as past kings agreed, a land trust deed, 'ere his life concedes.
Under a dark sky and a glistening half moon
I walk quietly, lest I awaken the sun
As I and the trees silently commune
Melding in the energy of the universal One.
Majestic royal palms that stretch to the sky
Lift my soul up to their heady heights
Catching my breath in a wondrous sigh
Sensing their view of the celestial sights.
From Kamehameha Avenue to Liloa Rise
Comes the fragrance of the plumeria trees
That makes sweet thoughts in my mind arise
From these delicate blossoms that sensually please.
Downslope to O'ahu Avenue
On the corner awaits a dear old friend -
A massive monkeypod with the power to imbue
Its strength and healing it's happy to lend.
I thank the mango trees for their tasty treasures
And delight in the poinciana's flaming orange dance
The awesomeness of trees is beyond all measures
As is their value to the lives they enhance.
I wend my way home to begin my day
With this vision of nature's sanctity.
In my heart it will always be tucked away -
A testament to life's generosity..
America had a King
and we all know his name
He wasn't king in England
and he wasn't king in Spain
He ruled with in our borders
And with majesty he did reign
King Kamehameha
He was known by his name
On the northern shore of Oahu is Waimea Bay.
Anyone can get there via the Kamehameha Highway.
The surf there is what only the bravest surfers will try.
Waves are known to crest as much as thirty feet high.
Jan and Dean had a hit song about it from yesteryear.
"Ride the Wild Surf" was what all their fans would hear.
To many vacationers, this is a popular spot.
Courage to ride those waves is something I haven't got.
Kamehameha The Great
Kamehameha the Great King
Banded the islands by taking,
Foreign ills brought us mass killing,
Now takers are law-abiding.
Kamehameha viewed himself as being Great,
He ate what he caught, plus those that crawled from his plate,
Stay clear, for his shadow is a deadly mistake,
Foreign intents stayed hid until it was too late.
Date: 08/25/2019
Let me pass under the tunnel of trees
While shrouded in mist in tropical breeze.
Let island mysteries slowly unfold
As customs remain from centuries old.
Let me rise up to the Pali so rare
As I feel it's strong winds lash my long hair.
Honor ancestral spirits that surround
This beautiful 'aina and sacred ground.
A place where spirits of dead still abide,
Where a battle took place and suicide.
A warning to those who visit at night,
You'll meet with oddities causing great fright.
Viewing stunning Kaneohe below
Where with fierce tenacity trade winds blow,
My view from Pali I'll never forget...
That Time, too fleeting, I'll ever regret.
© Connie Marcum Wong
Nuuanu Pali:
“This is the last major battle that Kamehameha fought. This united all of the islands other than Kaua‘i, and, from this point on, for the next 20-some odd years, there was peace, other than the preparation for the battle of Kaua‘i.” Kaua‘i ceded its sovereignty peacefully to Kamehameha in 1806, without that battle ever occurring.