The Big Island of Hawaiʻi

I’ve been many places
from Antarctica to the top of Norway
but I always tell folks who ask
after having sung the praises of various places
that there is still nowhere
that stirs my spirit more
than the Big Island

Hawaiʻi Island is the power of the goddess Pele
Kīlauea and the volcanic intensity of Halemaʻamaʻu

and quiet Hilo Town of the lush ti leaves

the immense cragged ʻaʻā Kaʻū landscapes

the mystical hollow of Green Sand Beach
earth’s many colors ringed around me

the breathtaking mountain to seascape vista
that bursts upon you
suddenly seeing the waters of Kalapana
waves crashing so far below you
you’d think you could roll down the Hōlei pali
for hours before reaching that deepest blue water

And then always
the tallest mountain in the world
there is the beauty that is Mauna Kea
her white capped majesty
a mesmerizing vision standing far above all

If I could choose one word
to speak the spirit of the Big Island
it would be

peace

in this place where the wind sounds accord
and the rain sweeps all in harmony

this island of soft embrace
a lullaby to hold you safe
wrapped in her loving arms forever

This is the Big Island of Hawaiʻi
My mele for her sings of peace