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Lotus - by Beth Eisenberg
Lotus - by Beth Eisenberg"This very moment is the perfect teacher, and lucky for us, it's with us wherever we are." Pema Chodron
Queen Lili`uokalani, Last Monarch of Hawaii;Iolani Palace in Background.
(note the lei & hu`ukupu, "gifts")
“Set your course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship”
Omar Bradley
Racist Political Cartoon of the Queen, Her Throne Precarious on American Bayonets.
In her hand are papers reading "Scandalous Government"
and "Gross Immorality."
“How strange is the lot of us mortals! Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he knows not, though he senses it. But without deeper reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people.”
Albert Einstein
The Beloved Lili`uo Herself"All things change; nothing perishes."
OVID
When the Hawaiian Kingdom was overthrown by local American businessmen in 1893 with the tacit backing of U.S. Marines off of the USS Boston, the Queen was imprisoned in Iolani Palace.
In addition to being quarantined from her beloved people, she was also denied any news of the world beyond her window.
The gardener at her gracious Waikiki home, Paokalani, continued to tend her beloved flowers in expectation of her return. Every day he sent the Queen a bouquet of fresh flowers.
And each bouquet was wrapped in fresh newspapers!
The tides of larger events oft rock our little lives. Even a royal ship of state can founder.
But though we experience loss, even the loss of a whole kingdom, there still remain flowers to pause and enjoy.
And those we love will find simple, yet eloquent ways reach out to us.
A L O H A! Cloudia
PS: Yesterday's photo of "mystery fruit" was: MANGO on da tree!
17 comments:
I'd ask the queen one question...Which was more important to her...The flowers or the wrapping within which they arrived?
How cruel to intern this queen. She looks so regal! She had a good gardener! Aloha, Cloudia!
May we all have friends like that clever gardener!
Thank goodness for the gardener! Another informative post Cloudia and I love the photo of the lotus flower. I was right it was a mango! :)
Gets better and better.
I love the story of the gardener and the newspapers! And that, if she could not go out into her garden, he sent it in to her.
I wonder why none of this is taught in history classes ... sad ...
Just think, CC. If Hawaii were still a monarchy and not part of the USA, I would not be alive and I would not know you.
Unscrupulous business men.Then and now they were at the heart of many troubles.
That is a truly stunning bloom.
As I was reading this, I thought your words flowed like a good children's book. Ever think of writing one?
Oh, in thinking back, I hope you know I meant that as a compliment. I am thinking of writing a children's book now, and I thought that the story of this queen would make a great book, about the love of the gardener for his queen and how he gave her news. How does it end though?
Ah this story is very sad, always has made me sad. To Daryl's point, I was taught all about this in the classroom -in public school in Hawaii. As someone who was a student both on Oahu and on the mainland, I never understood how the stories of mainland natives were never as completey or respectfully delivered as it was in my experience with Hawaiiana. This was in the late 70's thru mid 80's, and I hope that the curriculum is unchanged!
Beautiful post Cloudia!
Wonderful post. And a great gardener for the Queen.
Walking Man: They both meant love and engagement with her people ;-)
Aloha, Wil
Sandy: Indeed, Dear.
Ake: Lotus, mango, we're a regular exotic circus around here, Luv!
Dave King: Thanks, Professor. always a pleasure to see YOU.
Aloha, Dear Brother T !
Daryl: You said a mouthful, Hon.
GiGi: Wouldn't your family have emigrated to the Kingdom? They came before statehood, it seems to me, eh?
Charles: Human greed is an old story my Friend.
Travis: You can see why the lotus is an enduring spiritual emblem in Asia. Rooted in muck, but rising above it, pristine on it's stem.
Junosmom: So gr8 to see U! Been wondering about Spring Time on da farm. Thanks for this great feedback; I appreciate it. The Queen died in 1917 at her lovely home, Washington Place. She was often seen puttering in her garden, smoking small cigars, and was kind to the school children walking by (I spoke to a man in his 90s 20 years ago who shared that shcoolboy memory with me.)
She remained well beloved and often recieved the people at her home as one can read in Brennert's novel "Honolulu."
DeeTree: Thank you for sharing your experiences as a child in Oahu. Mahalo for visiting and "talking story" with us!
Hi, GRAN!!
Aloha & thank you EACH for your dear visits.
This was a sad and shameful time in American history.
We Indians consider Lotus as the king of flowers, or should I say queen.
Silhouette of a Temple of Dwarka
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