💦 Big Island Adventures
Letter 193: a collection of poems
Aloha fellow learn-it-all 👋
Greetings from Honolulu, Hawaii
What a wonky-feeling week it has been.
I stepped up into an advanced hula class with choreography on Tuesday night and felt humiliated. This type of feeling of looking at myself fumbling in a mirror four steps behind is one I hadn’t felt since I joined the point class of ballet when I was 11 years old. I learned that there are two different types of hula:
Hula Kahiko: ancient hula accompanied by chant and traditional Hawaiian instruments
Hula 'Auana: less formal hula accompanied by song and western-influenced musical instruments like the ukulele and the guitar
Struggle number two for me this week was going to temple to sit and meditate for the first time in over a month. The Zen Buddhist form of “zazen” meditation I learned at orientation in October of 2021 is to count my breath with each exhale up to ten and then back to one. If I lose track of counting with a cloud of thoughts that comes, I start back at one.
I sat on that cushion for the full two hours and made it to the tenth count twice. My attention span seems to be that of a marshmallow exploding in a microwave. Back to the training wheels for me and my zazen practice.
Now, let’s dive into letter 193 from a learn-it-all. Enjoy!
If you are new here or missed last week's edition, you can catch up on the past letters here. If you are reading this for the first time, I’d love you to sign up below to join the other learn-it-alls:
📜🖋 Poetry Corner
Below are eight poems with fib, free verse, limerick, and haiku. I wrote these while reflecting on this past three-day weekend on a spontaneous friend trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. Each poem has an accompanying photo that I have put chronologically into the galleries below. I’m stoked about these poems!
Poem (1)
🍳Dancing in the Kitchen
In this kitchen, joy reaches a new height. Pots overhead, Any care takes flight. I don’t give a damn. This is my jam. In this kitchen, ABBA is bumping, Let’s all get jumping. My life feels like a movie. Time to get groovy. Dropping it low, To see how low we can go. Dancing in this kitchen Having fun is my new religion.
Poem (2)
💦 Basking in Boiling Pots
They sing, “don’t go chasing waterfalls” But I quite like the waterfall, The sound of water hitting the surface And continuing To flow - The mist that blurs my contacts’ vision The cold tingly sensation It sends down my body Once it hits the special spot under my belly button.
Poem (3)
🕴️South Point Cliff Scene
On Sunday, the day I usually aspire for a sabbath, but instead, I jumped off a 50 foot cliff. After four box breaths, one utterance of “oh shit no”, I tightly closed eyes, then opened and faced my fear.
Poem (4)
🪄 Mauna Kea Magic
Once upon a time, a girl watched a sunset on the second-highest peak, Nearly 14000 feet above the clouds made her feel some type of way With 40% less oxygen, it took her breath away. The colors so vibrant and hypnotizingly chic. Mauna Kea– you were a dream and made her week.
Poem (5)
🌚Blooming on Earth
On this planet, some see only gloom and doom They want to flee to the moon. But if they choose to shift and prune, it’s ridiculously hard not to see beauty bloom This place is a gift. Whenever I feel adrift, I remind myself that I have my breath And friends by my side til my death.
Poem (6)
🌽Corn Dinner Delight
There once was a crew of friends who met playing volleyball, After a weekend trip, they showed up to Hilo airport like neanderthal Corn in their teeth – a dinner delight. They flossed it out after, what a sight, Then played Codenames, and had a ball.
Poem (7)
🌳 Be Like a Banyan Tree
Their needs are simple: Sun, water, soil. Yet, they grow strongly and are not shameful of what they need to sustain that growth. Like any being, there are seasons to prune And seasons to bloom. Time of shedding and letting go And times of flourishing and flowing. Their roots lengthen to new uncharted terrains above ground And they also grow deeper down into who they are below ground. Be like a banyan tree– Grounded, simple, strong and growing.
Poem (8)
🐈⬛ Cuddly Kitten
Home with a kitten, Don’t ask questions, cuddle and hear the humming pur
🌟Quote to inspire
“There is real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.” -Norman Vince Peale
📸Photos of the Week
Above are many photos from my week. I hope you enjoyed! I love the practice of capturing life through a photo. Please let me know if you have any favorite shots!
🙏Shoutouts
To Hannah for helping me to come up with some of these poems and for her delightful presence on this weekend adventure :)
I appreciate you reading this!
If ideas resonate, I’d love you to press the heart button, leave a comment, reply to this email, or reach me at vermetjl@gmail.com. If you forgot who I am, I welcome you to my online home.
Keep on learning 😁
Mahalo 🌺
Jen
PS - in case you missed last week, I shared 🌱A Letter to My Improved Self
If you’re reading this because someone shared this newsletter with you, welcome! I’d love it if you subscribed: