Born and Raised

I am a product of Maui.
The child of the rich and poor,
the increase of drugs in communities,
beautiful million dollar homes on beach fronts with sunsets for a view,
dilapidated plantation homes on narrow streets,
dogs barking furiously limited on short chains,
local kids wearing surfshorts and slippers talking about surf,
salt making their brown skin look ashy,
crying pregnant girls tugging at their baby’s daddy’s shirt at laundry mats
while he stands coldly looking the other way, arms crossed,
In the arms of my friend from SF
underneath the full Hana moon,
staring at the night sky while lying on the carpet like grass in front of the Church,
Being stoned through highschool and getting straight As,
afraid of being knocked up after making love to my high school sweet heart
in my car everyday
after school.

Writing while the sunset listened to my thoughts
and the palm tree was the shoulder I cried upon.
And the wide Maui night sky was the inspiration for wishes to manifest.

i am a product of Maui.
A place where two stories are unfolding,
contrasting each other like the dark skin of the kanaka
and the freckled skin of the haole,
yet colliding into one other like the confusing beauty that is the hapa.

I have always stood in between both narratives.
Listening to each story,
each struggle being told
and finding my voice in the words I borrowed and repeated.
I interpret.

I stand in observation
in the shadows
in termite ridden homes,
on the marble floors of mansions
being madly in love with the stories
that were being played out
bringing tears to my eyes
bringing great joy and hope
on the illusive stage that is Maui
The paradise, the place of play to many
But I am a product of it.
The audience that learned it is reality.