no pictures, cuz the universe stole my camera & gave me the moon in return

Hale Akua's Door of Faith

coming to Hale Akua in total darkness is a surreal trip
the little red van chug chugs on the Hana highway
from Kahului past Pai'a

Past the famous Jaws just out from Ho'okipa
where surfers, swimmers, windriders and paddlers all delight to the random planning of the tides

Past the artificially lit cemetary which has only bunches of flowers sprouting from a green/brown lawnscape

Past the turnoff to Makawao, a little town up toward Haleakala the mouth of a dormant (?) volcano which can alternately feel like the moon, or antarctica, or the Peruvian Andes, outer Mongolia, or the road to Mordor...

Past twin falls, a "private keep out!" property where no one keeps out, with two swimmin holes formed at the bottom of a nice waterfall in a not drought year, which this isn't, whereyou can still jump from rocks or off the giant rope swing off the roots of a mamouth Banyon tree, into a fairly clear and mild mountain water pool...

Past the electrical box with a sunrise, or is it sunset?, painted as graffiti decor. Past too the graffiti'd eletrical shed on a mini cow pasture above the sea, with some crazy goblin theme..

Past the forest green bus stop, where no bus will ever come, turning left onto the Door of Faith road to pass a mile or so of odd little houses and a few churches, some backwoods downhome boys, their dogs and shenanigans, the beginning of the jungle, and "AG" land that makes my heart sing...

Turning right where it says "Quiet Please! Children!" into the drives by the Ohana and Grace and Oloha gardens..

Into the House of the Divine... as in Goddess.. as in Tantric.. as in mystical.. as in sacred space..


For those who can't follow, trust me, the pied piper lives there, with the doves, and the owls, the spiders, and the croaking toads... He can show you the way, but you must have no fear.

At first, perhaps i did not believe in the magic i was about to encounter: Maui's perceptive force, and the power of collective thought, homegrown food, quantitaive reasoning , and boldfaced intuition, in a community of souls combined and trusting and willing and open...
Where you can say it, think it, and how it surely will manifest..
Where you breath your belly fire into it, and how Dear GOD! the coals spark to life...
Were everything which falls from heaven is a joyful & sensual experience, given to you, blessing you with its warmth, its radiance, and its lifeforce.
Is life really this perfect?

Well no, in fact there are aspects to this place that smack of ignorance and hatred, desperation & greed, poverty & polarization... and yet,
perhaps because we are here, we are sheltered by love & appreciation.
because we are here, we have the cushion of the sea and the grounding force of the lava rock & rich clay soil. because we are here, we are buffered by the light, goodness, truth, and lessons which are so grand and so empowering that we may only be able to bow our heads for the sake of such Grace.
One of my favorite moments so far was arriving here in the darkness, and stumbling into the light. Three weeks in, i have lost many tangible things, but i have gained so much more:
Sunset swimming on Little Beach with the drum circle pounding to the firedancer's prose.
Bonfires with fireworks, fairy tales, shooting stars, full moon monsoons, and three grilled whole fish from paradise with Tiawanese concubines & my Zibbook.

Hidden beaches, jumping rocks, green sea turtles, black rock, red sands, green canopies, mountain tundra fog, dragonfruit, lili'qoi, fresh basil pesto, borage flowers, strawberry gauva, the drunken mango forest, kangaroo mice in the compost, and a million other tiny little nuances that give this place the wonder and beauty it is known for.
i am a farmer again.
i am a daughter of this universe.
i am a worshiper of God's majesty.
i am a beloved wife(for sure now,thank's to Maui's magic)
i am strong and committed and utterly devoted
to life, to love, to spirit.
To Maui.
To me.