(Papa and Wākea)

~

earth mother and sky father

meet atop mauna kea //

hāloa naka is born

still, buried,

then sprouts // in our garden,

[we] plant nine huli

from ku maoli ola nursery //

‘oha curves

towards the sky

like [neni’s] spine

in utero // how will [we]

explain to her why

those building the largest telescope

on earth atop this mountain

yearn to see 13 billion light years

into space, yet they can’t even see

the sacredness of this place

#TMTshutdown //

“look,” [you] say, a raindrop

has gathered in the center

of the heart-shaped leaf

// because even [our] eyes

are 95% water