Kohala

Brides against the sea
Underneath a cocoa tree,
Flags flapping on the reef,
As distant here from human grief

As weddings in this tropic breath
Are from inevitable death,
As the palms here climb to sun
Far from time’s oblivion,

Their only purpose to prolong
The island’s windy song:
To a poet, something clever;
But, to the brides, forever.

February 8th, 2023
The Kohala