Author's Message

There are a lot of pieces out there that are meant to incite trouble or push people to arguments. These are not intended to be pieces of that nature. I want to make people understand the humor that I see in certain aspects of life.

Race issues dominate television, movies, books, and almost every other aspect of our lives. Sometimes the race issue at hand is the issue of ignoring race issues. Sometimes the race issue is about overstating the problems between races, therefore inciting people into thoughts they might not usually have. I think that to ignore race would be silly, but to think that race issues will go away anytime soon.

The poems I wrote are intended to find the funny side of something(s) that maybe are not always seen as funny. I think that people sometimes push the heavier sides of issues, as opposed to the lighter side, which is just not how I see it. I believe in looking for the bright side of anything, trying hard to see past the propaganda and into whatever “truth” there may be. Being blinded by the media, into thinking everything is horrible and wrong in the world, is a hard thing to live with. I believe in opening my eyes as wide as possible and working to see with clarity the issues at hand. Looking for the lighter or brighter side of things may end up in disappointment sometimes, but in the end I think most people would be better off.

I write straight from the heart, with the editing coming after, hoping that any chance I had at duende is not lost in the process. I try not to over-think my writing, and whatever ends up on the paper is usually ok with me as long as I felt what I was writing. These poems are not from deep within my soul, but they do touch on issues that have been on my mind a long time. I try to write only poems that mean something to me. If something meant nothing at all to me, I would probably have a hard time writing something worthwhile about it. I think it is a very hard thing to write about something one does not care about. The less I care about something, the less energy I put into it. Caring about something (for me) usually leads to an energetic attempt at something, which is the only attempt worth making. I like to jump into things, again, with eyes wide open, letting the cold water of thought burn my eyes. I allow myself to accept a lot of things, but for those things I truly care about, there is nothing that would stop me from caring. Things like race issues in America and the NBA Playoffs, though far apart for most people, are the sorts of things I care about. I try my best not to care because others care. Just because something is important to someone else is not reason enough to yourself care about it. There needs to be some kind of natural, almost mystic, motivation when it comes to writing poetry that you care about.

To make it very clear: I am not mocking any race! I am not mocking whites, blacks, yellows, or purples. I really do not care what color a person’s skin is, though I am sure many would doubt that. I just can’t find it in myself to worry about skin color when attitude and personality mean so much more when figuring a person out. Skin color means nothing to me, especially when I think about the possibility of people someday changing their skin color at will. Your skin color changes with a tan, changes with skin bleaching, and usually changes with age. There are many things that can be done to affect one’s skin color, so it’s hard for me to just think of that as what “makes a man,” so to speak.

I do not think my poems will save the world, or even help the situation, but I write them and post them anyway. If you’re reading them, you probably know someone that I know, or you know me personally, and that makes me hope that you’ll gain something from these couple of poems. People who know me know what I am about. I am about doing my best to further my thoughts and the thoughts of those around me. It is not any kind of mission, or something like that, but it is something I find myself constantly doing. Talking to others, with a positive agenda, is something I find myself doing all the time. A lot of people consider me kind of crazy, or a little off, or even mean, but in the end, my friends all know how nice and generous a guy I can be. I like to think it’s ok to believe in God, to not, or to just not know. I like to think there is no “dominant” or “supreme” race, no matter what each race seems to claim over the others. I think of the human race kind of the like the NBA, everyone in it has talent, it just depends on whether you put the effort in to utilize the talent. Yes, people are born disadvantaged, but even then, with hard work, and maybe a little bit of luck (good luck for you, or maybe bad luck for someone else), you might end up where you want to be. I think very few people end up where they want to be, and they need a reason (other than themselves) to blame. They seek a scapegoat, or at least someone to distract a little bit of the negative attention away from their failures. Races other than your own are easy targets because they are not usually around to defend themselves when you are blaming them. People usually blame other races only to people who can relate, who are usually only people of the same race as them. I do not think there is an actual single reason that people fail (in life, or anything else). I do think that blaming a race is the easy way out though. I think anyone who pins their problems on an entire race, no matter what race it be, is copping out.

I know this stuff is not usually the stuff you find in the “About the Author” section at the back of a book. Some of the stuff I write and imply, here or in the poems, might not even be found in some of the riskiest exposés.

I was born in California in 1984 and currently stand at about 6’0, weighing about 200 pounds. I like long walks on the beach, and conversations that last into the wee hours of the morning and old-fashioned ice cream shakes. I live in Hilo, Hawaii with my mom (Jenipher), dad (David), brother (Colin – 17), and grandfather (Arthur). My family has been through its share of ups and downs, but we always get back up, and I hope that attitude is evident in my writing. I am currently attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa, working on my English Bachelor’s Degree. I intend to finish up within the next year or so, and begin the process of helping my dad to retire from ownership of Horizon Pest Management (an extermination company) in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii.