Monday, April 25, 2011

Maui, Rhymes with Wow-ee

Maui is part of a mountain range,
that has ascended slowly out of the sea.
Allowing nature to work in relative isolation,
creating a canvas of unrivaled natural beauty.

The road along the north shore, from Kapalua to Hana,
provides the best views of this oasis in the sea.
Those who choose to drive this road themselves
can be described in one word--kamikaze.
It is far more prudent and enjoyable,
to take a bus ride with Ekahi.

Taking a whale-watching cruise is standard practice,
it's exciting to see the Humpbacks breach.
But to tell the truth, you can see them just as well,
while standing on the beach.

The beauty of this island
resides equally in the flora of Maui,
which is framed exquisitely
by the trackless azure sea.

While visiting Maui,
the Kaanapali Beach Hotel is where I stayed.
At that time, it was the last hotel
doing things the traditional Hawaiian way.

Simply put, Maui is the most beautiful place I have ever seen.
Whether I will return is difficult to foresee.
But the island will always reside,
in the garden of my memory.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Stone Crabbing

(A version of this poem was presented at the Fisher Poets Gathering, Astoria OR, 2/26/11)

Stone crab traps are made of wooden(or plastic) lath strips, about 2 ft square.
Then you pour in 50 lbs of concrete, so they won't go anywhere.
Unfortunately, if you drop them on mud bottom, they tend to sink right in.
So in addition to weight, you have to overcome the suction.

I always set in shallow water, so I pulled my traps manually.
So when my oldest son was strong enough, I took him along with me.
After several traps he said,"Dad, this one's stuck fast, so now what, tell me please".
"Son", I said,"the trick is, at first you pull hard, then she comes easy".

Dungeness, king, blue crab and lobster, are all first rate, gastronomically,
but among gourmets, and gourmands who have sampled the full bounty of the sea,
they clearly favor the stone crab, and I surely do not disagree.