Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio Instagram – Monday mana’o: I’ve performed this poem more than any other poem I’ve ever written. It’s traveled across Hawai’i Pae ‘āina, to the four corners of turtle island, throughout Europe, and deep into the pacific. It has been my comfort blanket— my opening breath — my ho’okupu that ensures I never show up empty handed. And while it’s not my “best” written poem — it is certainly my most significant. Every time I have the privilege of saying these names, my kūpuna answer and join me upon the stage. And as they arrive I remember that I am never alone in this world— that I always stand beside my ancestors and before my future decedents. It is a gift of reflection and orientation. And I am grateful to never be without it.
[the song my father is singing is entitled “Pule no me Ea” and was written by my father and his beloved friend and colleague Kanalu Young. The video is from the first ever “Ea Hawai’i field school” held at UH Maui College in the summer of 2017] | Posted on 26/Sep/2023 00:46:07
