LAST DAY OF SPRING

My church had a St. Pat's Day tea. It is so nice to have these traditions. The elderly ;ladies did a wonderful job of setting up the tea, baking and also had crafts for sale.

It is my friend from Rhode Islands" birthday. So my thought go to him and our time on Maui and the fun we had. Especially the Friday night Art Walk. All the art galleries on Front St. have open house with artists in attendance. Kerry and i were much impressed with some pieces of Arte we saw. It was close to Christmas and we were both missing our Northern European Christmas rituals. He is part Irish and very sentimental, so we were both a bit sad this our first Christmas without our families. He di not have his own guitar and would not use another person's, so i could not listen to him playing the music he played when he formed his group in Rhode island when he was younger. One regret i have is that the peg-legged old man at Pioneer Inn promised to send the photos he took of us....they never came. I had top leave the island for a family emergency and we did not even exchange last names. But we had a nice time and i am sure he thinks of us every December too. His last words to me were, " say yes to life."

Wonderful advice for all of us.

A few free-form tanka for Kerry

On this tropical island

we were both so far from home

on Christmas eve, feeling sad

about both of our Nordic rituals

tears from your Irish eyes

In the art gallery

the amazing works of Arte

that i was afraid to touch

you told me you would buy it for me

one day when you were flush again

Maui stars

so clear in the winter night

you so much younger than I

but knowing more of life

A man in jean shirt and jeans

a dark night on Maui

telling me about your music

and your love of guitar

Today is your birthday

i can still see a pair of emerald eyes

with black thick lashes

so many years ago

why do men have better lashes

than most girls

On this your birthday

i have no photo of you

pushing your dark hair

out of your emerald eyes

memories come one by one

New rice paper

i draw eyes of green with black lashes

Maui mountains and

light green sea

this Spring day