Sunday, August 2, 2009

Turtle Town

Aloha!
Welcome Aboard
click on photos to enter them An old scene re-enacted off Waikiki




"The Brain

is wider than the Sky

For put them side by side

The one the other will contain

With ease and

You

beside —


"I don't need hands to bless you."

"The Brain is deeper than the sea


For hold them
Blue to Blue
The one the other will absorb
As Sponges
Buckets
do —

Mom & Boy going to da zoo.



The Brain is just the weight of God
For
Heft them
Pound for Pound
And they will differ
if they do
As Syllable from Sound "
Emily Dickinson




Portholes are tiny things really, so when I leave this keyboard, straighten out my back, and go out on deck, the Waikiki skies are like the sudden rush of a strange and wonderful intoxication. Look! I'm in Hawaii!
So it felt special as usual when I left my desk and got in my kayak to paddle through the gathering dusk again last evening.


I like the way that droplets of water dripping from my raised paddle ruffle the calm, if swelling surface inside the harbor. I paddle past moored boats, twigs and flotsam; the occasional branch gliding like a baby sea dragon. Passing the Hawaii Yacht Club I could see friends having a Friday Pau Hana (after work/happy hour) libation as the retiree band set up. Across the channel, the Family Festival occupied Magic Island with turning amusements, scented smoke of carnival cooking, and the sounds of the world's greatest municipal band: The Royal Hawaiian Band (which played for royalty and dignitaries in an earlier rendition of our Hawaii). They were playing pop stuff, big band, and the channel hosted pleasure boats to-ing & fro-ing. I like when outrigger canoes paddled by 8 or so strapping guys go by. I can smell their healthy manhood and a tinge of sizzle passes across the water level. Suddenly I am in Hawaii of times immemorial. . .



The outriggers paddled by wahine (women) inspire me in a different way, but inspire me nevertheless. I can hear the steersman calling for a change. "Hup" Did you hear that?




I was just enjoying the present.



Magically I understood again how special it was to see a sea turtle on my first paddle in over a year. That was weeks ago. Suddenly I knew that since I had "registered" the specialness of the occurrence, I was now free to see turtles as a daily commonplace.




Out beyond the last jumbled rock jetty where the fishermen play, is a stretch of shallow protected water. The wave breaks and surfers are still further out, and it is too shallow for boats, so it is a special, Caribbean-y space for kayakers, stand-up paddlers, and one-person outrigger canoes.



Out there, I put my double ended paddle across my knees and turned to look at the mountains of Oahu wreathed with weather, clouds and light behind me. I saluted Diamond Head at the other end of Waikiki wreathed in sunset technicolor clouds and legends.



Just me alone with the sky, the sea and the sound of my own heart beating - or is that the surf pounding?



I liked resting on the churning bosoms of mama ocean as they heaved and gently rocked me this way and that. This is where I saw that welcome back turtle feeding in the early evening shallows.
Suddenly I knew that they were there.




I watched each capricious little wavelet that raised it's hand. I was looking for turtle heads to break the surface and take a breath. To experience flowing lava is not merely to see it, but to smell the sulfur and to feel the heat. Seeing sea turtles is not just seeing them, not even their brown sentient eye gazing across the wavelets at you. No, experiencing turtles fully is to have them surface near by enough to hear their ancient breath of fresh air.



Then you know that someone else is near, making that sound older than Chant & Hula in these islands.



There they were, lazing near the surface, floating in the currents as I was. Bobbing for food, and raising their heads to breathe and look around. Carefully I prevented the paddle from drumming against the kayak. I just floated and looked.



Then stealthily I paddled closer. Close enough to see dark shapes gliding just beneath the surface.




"I love you. I honor you. I appreciate you." I thought loudly as I enjoyed the ocean evening cathedral with my fellow congregants. Western clouds and Waianae mountains glowed like instructive and beautiful stained glass. The sea and land poured brackish incense into the nave that steepled my little boat-pew.



Sailboats, powerboats, paddlers and surfers played beyond the reef. But the turtles and I were alone in a sepulcher of solitude. Time stopped pre-historically.




Then one swam right by and under me at arms length. I could see the patent leather patterns on her dear head, and the graceful flip of her flippers (more graceful than my paddle). I breathlessly admired the jade of her shell and vaguely Asian olive brown eyes. I could swear she looked right at me.




This is turtle city; and I can come out here every day!



Isn't life wondrous....when you allow yourself to drift into the Comfort Spiral?



I'm glad that Y O U came along with me today.
Mind your step as you clamber back on solid land......
Oh, and "Ding" sends you her turtle love.
A L O H A ! Cloudia

24 comments:

  1. You have a way with words, Cloudia. Very well written!

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  2. Wow ! You are beyond lucky. Thank you for sharing it with us !

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  3. Your wordsmithing is exotic yet simple...you amazingly capture the feeling of serenity in the experience of aloha with Hawaii's creatures and natural spanse. Mahalo for letting us hitch a ride. DrumMajor

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  4. If only I could articulate as well as you do, I'd write the same about my love for my land and seas.
    This is a read-it-twice at least post. So wondrous.
    Give my regards to Ding. Ah, to hear her breath.
    ooh, I feel myself drifting into the Comfort Spiral . . . ~~~~~~~~~

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  5. I wish I could be jealous of you and your kayak. If for no other reasons than the turtles. Although I see none and no Diamond head or felicitous gatherings for an after work set down when I go wading beyond my porthole.

    But I can not be jealous because there is a world here too...we simply substitute hoopdies for kayaks, thugs for turtles, vacant houses for Diamond Head and gin soaked cracked smoked junkies for after work revelers.

    There is a grand beauty everywhere.
    Just depends on the spiral. ;-}

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  6. I love the way you describe this journey and the encounter with the turtle. A commonplace, like a friend, can be a beautiful treasure!

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  7. Beautifully done Cloudia. Thank you for the inspiring post; it has set the tone for my day. :) Aloha.

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  8. Lovely and loving description of the turtles. It's always such a wonderful thing to see nature's denizens in their own environments.

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  9. That was amazing .. I wish when I step away from the keyboard and straighten up (and ignore the sciatica TWING that is really an intense THROB) that I had a kayak to hop into

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  10. I so enjoyed that trip with you Cloudia x

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  11. Thank you for sharing your magical moment among the sea turtles, Cloudia!

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  12. Good morning from Athens, Greece.
    As for a certain reason started once a while ago to learn Hawaiian am very glad to have found your site, as it is both interesting to see (for the photography) and impressive to read (for the way you write).Please have a nice evening and a good start into the new week.A hui hou.

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  13. What a magical moment Cloudia, to be at one with the turtles and now I must set my feet back on land as I leave your wonderful world :)

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  14. When heart speaks it is always hundred times better than brain.

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  15. I often come back to your posts a couple of times - as with this - and find something there I missed the first time around. They are treasure troves to explore.

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  16. Love it. Felt I was there with you seeing the turtles.

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  17. Joining with the souls of the turtles is a great idea, Cloudia. Sea turles are amazing creatures in the water.

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  18. Gigi! Mahalo!

    Elise! Welcome!

    Drummy Pal!!

    Shalom Dina!!

    Walking Man; you are wise my dear pal.

    Sandy C; Mahalo.

    Tricia: ;-)

    Charles: Well said, wordsmith!

    Daryl: You have the greates city in the world to enjoy!!



    ake! Aloha!


    Teresa: ;-)

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  19. Aloha Robert! So nice to mmet you.

    Carol: You are a sensitive dear!


    Denise: I love spending time with you ;-)

    Hobo: Namaste my friend!

    Dave K: Coming from YOU that is very nice praise indeed - I shall re-read it several times indeed!

    Bubble: Funny, I often feel like I'm in your car or house when I read your posts ;-)

    Barbara: And you are an amazing creature of the web world ;-)

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  20. Sounds like a wonderful time! Peaceful and lots of un.

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  21. Just enchanting, loved every word!

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  22. this post is beautiful beautiful beautiful

    namste /\
    aloha!

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