No Mo' Chimney!

Winnahs!!!

I admit the judging was strictly subjective.

And there were some gems among the poems submitted in my Hawaii-style Christmas haiku contest on Facebook.

I was going to give away one leather luggage tag but then realized I had two.

Written by Jade Moon

I dream of beach days

Dreaming of beach days- photo by Jade Moon

The memories I have are like nuggets of gold-- the crunch of sand, hot and gritty between my toes; the caress of ocean waves warmed by the sun. Most of all, the strength of my father as he carried me on smooth, broad shoulders and walked into the sea-- deeper, deeper until he was almost fully submerged. He lowered me into the water even as I clung to him like an opihi, weightless and warm and loved.

Written by Jade Moon

Memories of Lei

"When I was younger and in elementary, my grandpa would always have a puakenikeni lei for my sister and I for special occasions like birthdays, graduations, and May Days. I always thought he was Hawaiian, because he was as local as they come, with a perpetual tan, pidgin as standard language, and a habit of eating onions raw with Hawaiian salt and finishing a bowl of poi with this fingers."

Written by Jade Moon