The io hunts in daylight
an opportunist by trade
a carnivor by habit
a survivor by necessity.
I favor the sun
he, the canopy
I, the white sand
he, the long grass
I, the occasional ono
he, the occasional palila.
The nene favors the mountain
vegetarian by trade
bullish by habit
protective, sad.
The nene and I
we're like that.
Forest dwellers.
Leaf eaters.
nearly extinct.
The sea and the honu are lovers
entwined in eternal dance
taking, giving, breaking, renewing.
The honu and I
we have much in common
Sea dwellers
long-distance travelers.
Nearly extinct.
Hawaii and I
we have much in common.
We hunger and thirst, endlessly searching,
plodding ever onward
across a windswept plain,
pausing here and there
to drink, lying prone and
gazing upward, washed
in sun and rain and
endless starlight.
