Sunday, May 1, 2011

May Day ... May Pole, Lei Day

Aloha May Day!

The beautiful 1st day of May is here, and hope it is there for you wherever you find yourself.  Pete is already out of the Quonset and on his way to the South Whidbey Tilth Gardens.  It's the first day of Farmer's Market at the Tilth, and the rumor is there will be a May Pole. When I was a girl, in first day, at 'Aina Haina School, I have a memory of a May Pole.  Mrs. Nobriga was my first grade teacher, the flag pole might have been the school May Pole, I see ribbons and flowers, I see children circling the pole.  Since then I have never been part of a May Pole Celebration.  I'm hoping that will change today at the Tilth gardens.

May 1st is also Lei Day in Hawaii.  My mother, my tutu, and my mother's tutu were lei makers.  I see those lei makers in my heart and I write and think most especially about the plumeria trees at the Kuliouou place.  I see Ma stringing carnation lei, pikake lei.  I see my brother stringing fragrant lei from the blossoms the cover the wire fences surrounding his home in Waimanalo.

I have strung lei of words and ideas:  I teach what I learn, teach myself as much as any who might come.  Lei is a gift, an art, timeless.  And you?  What lei do you string?

1 comment:

  1. My plan "Be" of dancing in that May Pole Dance ... is now a done deal! Done it and what a great big, wonderful deal it was. Mokihana

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Speak from the heart