Kauai

kauai

 

horseshoe crabs. bonfires. waves crashing right outside your ear—

don’t kiss a toad, you’ll get warts.

heavy ripe mangoes. a gecko in the sugar bowl.

 

the door slams during dinner

don’t worry, he tells you, it’s just the ghosts.

ketchup on rice. ketchup on eggs, toast, noodles.

 

the hurricane swept through the house, caught on film.

half his face gone after the accident thirteen years later.

they say the woman had to hold it on with a wet towel,

waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

 

a punctured lung, a broken hip, crystal meth.

three children. one grandson.

slide guitar. ukulele. a scar across the chest.

the best way to get away from a shark is to get its eyes.

 

the waves crash. crickets chirp.

the heavy smell of overripe mangoes lingers in the air.