HAPPY MAY DAY

Gather some flowers
on the 1st of May.
Make them into
a pretty bouquet.

Knock at your neighbor's
then run away.
As you're going
be sure to say
HAPPY MAY DAY.

   In Hawaii, May Day is celebrated as Lei Day. 

Happy May Day
Happy Lei Day
Here's what I'll do,
I'll gather flowers
to make a lei
for you.

And if you make
one for me too,
then we can exchange
a friendship true.

  Each year on Lei Day the Kauai Museum has a lei competition.  My husband and I went and saw over 50 beautiful leis. 

The top lei is made with bougainvillea and fern, the bottom one gets it's teal color from jade plant.

Aren't these beautiful?

The middle lei included rose buds.

These leis were entered in the purple/blue category.

Leis in the white category.

There were leis for your hat.

Of course there was hula dancing to celebrate the holiday.
And,

singing and ukulele playing.  It was a wonderful day.  I hope you have a great Lei Day.

   Can you write a poem about your favorite flower today?

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may... Robert Herrick

2013 DAYS OF MIRACLE AND WONDER

These are the days of miracle and wonder.  
  Paul Simon

New Year's Eve day
I'm sitting on the beach
watching the sun rise.

The chickens sing
their morning song.
Life is good.

I see a dragonfly
zip along.
Someone is plunking
a ukulele song.

Life doesn't get
any better than this.

A stunning rainbow
bright color and  energy
appears over the 
crisp salty waves. 

And I think
I am living
my best life.

What more
could I want
on this heavenly isle?

Then all in a flash
I see a whale breach
and I smile.

ALOHA.

      My thanks to the talented Sandy McMaster for this poem. She is the inspiration.  Sandy plays ukuele to accompany her husband Doug McMaster, slack key wizard,  who recently was declared one of Hawaii's island treasures.
     I hope your first day of 2013 is filled with miracles and wonder.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

    Your writing challenge for today is to write a short poem about the first thing you notice in 2013.