I, Hawaii

I, Hawaii, greatest of Sea-Land dragon, travel slowly,

Shrieking over a flaming tongue,

Spewing fire in forever coils,

Onto the world.

Creating a new me with my billow of terror,

Flaming brilliance,

Red-billowing torrents of anger.

The swirling black red billows of my turbulent fiery,

Curling, spewing, flowing, fierce,

Lava tendrils giving to the universe,

Allowing me to grow upon this world.

I spit at the sky,

Froth at the sea,

Growing forever stronger.

I trail across the sea.

I am mountains making more mountains,

I continue uncoiling.

My spirit going back millions upon millions of years,

From a point when my spirit was created,

Under Earth’s swirling pearl blue skin.

I do not remember my birth,

But I do remember the gnarling Earth forces,

Pushing me into existence.

With unending exuberance,

Forcing me to awake to the world,

Giving me life.

My tentacle arms continued to move out upon the ocean floor.

My knuckles flaming,

Pulling me across this world.

As I sunk my spirit knuckles into the ocean floor,

The earth fought back,

Spewing flames of molten rock up under me.

Pushing me away,

Insuring I not reach its core.

I feel my back break the water,

And knew air,

And knew more air,

As added spines arose.

My soul continued its endless task of reaching Earth’s core.

Efforts found a rhythm with the molten core,

The water and the air I found pleasing,

And continue and continue.

The current assuasive world,

Contrasts me with its calming,

Soothing waters,

Its light billowing air.

Earth’s invisible winds gently blow at my flames,

Taking my froth black breath,

Swirling to great heights,

Throwing it back at me.

Contrasting colors interrupting the pale blue days,

As the sun moves through the slowing torment of my billow,

Illuminating with rays of an endless palette of colors.

NO living thing existed upon me at that moment of my becoming.

As my spines quieted with time,

I learn the contrast of violence,

And the pleasure of life upon my being.

I am many island spines, part of the great serpent.

Each both alone and apart,

As each man is alone and apart.

We are all connected in soul.

Not in cold indifference,

But in quiet mediation.

We cover millennia

Giving tranquil ness

To those living upon our being.

I will know those now living upon my back,

As time travelers,

Sharing with me a moment.

As each life sparkles as a fire,

Then cools and disappears,

Into its elements.

Each contributing a little,

To extend my life,

Above my water home.

Oh my land,

And its myriad of life on land,

And to the depth of the sea.

Each feeding on the other,

Giving each life in turn.

As I quietly reflect,

And my essence dissolves,

I will know these lives upon my being.

I absorb-know the sea upon my side,

The wind and water,

Taking my essence one atom at a time.

I am complete,

Knowing I will retreat,

Under the water of my birth.

Roland James June 2001