Backward Hawaiian Vacation

Waikiki, oasis of sand and skin,
promises peaceful paradise,
never ending blue skies under which to dream of
manufactured utopias meant for tourists.
Luaus and macadamia farms founded on beds of lava
keep us safe from truth.
Hulas tell stories and
ukuleles sing of tiny bubble-warming cliches while
ocean waves hypnotize with illusions of the
infinite, creating a perfect facade to
enshroud yesteryear’s insurrections, provide
alternative realities that soothe savage souls.

©2023 Kenneth W. Arthur