Kimberlee K.

Woke up at 6 am and ate bowl of cheerios

Hopped on a plane next to a baby that was full of tear-ios

Slept and read and slept and read and watched an on flight film

Slept and read and slept and read and wondered how long until

We landed on the big island and the sun was blazing hot

Got picked up by our bearded friend waving from his parking spot

He drove us to a Pokei shack where I chickened out and bought pork

Ate it atop a concrete wall at the beach and dropped my fork.

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Hopped into my swimsuit and stepped into the warm water

Waded past a sea turtle who wouldn’t dare be bothered

By the unsteady feet of me stepping into the tide

Adorned in a scuba mask, with a nasal tone I couldn’t hide

We swam and swam and ooohed and ahhed at the fish that freckled sea floor

We dodged sea urchins and kept our legs workin’ over coral and back to the sea shore

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Windows down and breeze strong, we drove to a secret spot

Where we camped on the sand, listening to the band of birds and bugs on the lot

Then the sun set and rose, and I sat with sandy toes hoping to catch glimpse of a dolphin

Hoping they’d stroll up to the sand and I’d say something grand like “Hey Flipper, come here often?”

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Our next stop was South Point, and boy what a breezy joint, a cliff not for the squirrelly.

The Southernmost tip of the United States, offering an ocean jump that was surly

Then there was a bakery whose bread was unmistakably the best carbs you’ll ever consume

I devoured a pastry and a chicken sandwich on our way to watch Kilauea plume.

We went to Jaggar Museum and walked through the volcano tubes

Hiked through the forest and across a crater reminiscent of the moon

When the sun went down the breeze picked up and temperatures got low

We bundled up as we walked back to Jagger to watch Kilauea’s plume glow.

Then with a few hours til midnight we thought a burger and fries might tide us over til morning

We drove to a waterfall that stood 80ft tall, beautiful even in the dark evening

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Then we crashed into bed but before the pillow caught our head the alarm clock began to shout

2:45 read the clock’s dim light and we were ready for another bout

Of adventure and inspiration that promised shivers and awe

With 30 minutes til sunrise we squinted our tired eyes at the summit of Mauna Kea.

There were oranges and purple and pinks and yellows

There were other groups of freezing, awe stricken Hawaiian fellows.

We snapped photo after photo and crooned wow after wow

Before hopping back in the car realizing it was time to head home now

But not before stopping at one last beach

To lie in the white sand and soak in our final speech

Of Hawaiian culture that surrounded us in the sunlight

Then we boarded our plane, smiles shining for the whole flight.