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New Year's Eve on an island in the middle of Nowhere, suddenly aware of being surrounded By Pacific Ocean I stumble For a moment in the crowd In Lihue by the federal building Palm trees outlined in fairy lights Each bend and curve decorated in rain-dark night We're strolling arm in arm At the hula tent, two men In mustaches and grass skirts Gesture, a hula of waves and farewell While on the karaoke stage A middle-aged Japanese lady Not much older than me Sings a halting, if competent "Somewhere over the Rainbow" And suddenly I'm crying Real tears on my cheeks But from the gospel tent Upbeat ecstasy from Hawaiian Catholic Church What the world is coming to is this And on the hula stage, now real hula The Aloha Airlines baggage handler Playing a mean bass My second husband notes My first husband would have loved this If he weren't dead, that's Why I'm dancing with you instead To a strange Cuban/Puerto Rican band In stranger purple lounge outfits They're not bad For Latin music out of Hilo Back at Karaoke, three dark haired girls Sisters or friends, who have rehearsed Sing as The Supremes Really, I'm very happy to be here Displaced as always, a desert wandering Jew And really, I'm happiest To be with you While the ocean around us Wants someone to sing windward Provides our own Empty orchestra. |
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Premiere Issue (Issue #1), June, 1998 :
Santa Fe Poetry Broadside.