Author Archives: janishaag

(on the path to Makua Beach, Kauai) Of course, others might find them.I cannot be the only one captivated by the appearance of heart-shapedcoral embedded in soft sand. I love happening upon them, andyes, I pocket some. But what I … Continue reading →

(for Donna and Eric and Dick) Three floors up, from the openwindow of our oceanside condo,we four watched a wedding, our bird’s eye view renderingus invisible to those gathering,sitting, waiting for the ceremony to begin. We found ourselvescaptivated by the … Continue reading →

(Hanapepe swinging bridge, Kauai) It vanished, this 1911 bridge,hurricane’d right offits supports in 1992, rebuilt, then smashed bya tree propelled by the storm-swollen river in 2019. But if you stand on ittoday, the only vanishingthing about it is the point … Continue reading →

(Lawai, Kauai) I come to wade in the protected poolwhere waves crash on rocks just outside it,marveling at all the forms of life— from the ginormous monk seal parkedlike an oceanic zeppelin on the bigger beachdown the road to hundreds … Continue reading →

5ish a.m. We’re both up,listening to the surf below us,while just outside the early birdsbegin yakking above the whooshof waves. This is not our time of day.I have no idea why we’re awake.He says he’s waiting for sunrise,the day’s first … Continue reading →

And, of all the things that makethis day special, people in Hawaiiwrap themselves and each other,along with statues of important ones,in all manner of floral neckwear. We buy lei for loved ones arrivingthis day—simple ti leaf lei forgood luck and … Continue reading →

(for Briana Martinez and Dick Schmidt,siblings of the heart) Never forget that you’ve been givena second chance— more than once, it turns out—a series of fleeting mercies that whiz by so fast yourarely notice them. But this evening, after dinnerwith … Continue reading →

Ankle deep in the Kalapaki surf,I walk by two pale teenage boyssitting on the sand, one pinkened by sun, his claviclesporting a bone-white circleof puka shells. A few yards later I walk bytwo local boys browned by sunon boogie boards … Continue reading →

(in memory of Dottie SchmidtJune 16, 1949–April 28, 2025) In your passingwe say mahalofor becoming partof our family. We saywhat cannot besaid often enough:We love you. We say,E hoʻomaha me ka maluhia,rest in peace. We saya hui hou,until we meet … Continue reading →

(for Dickie) “Now we’re here,” he likes to sayonce we’ve arrived on island, usually when we step out ofthe forced air of plane and into the thicker breathof green and seastuff. Or sometimes when,as soon as possible, I make my … Continue reading →