LANGUAGE
‘Lei’ Men’s Terms
a rhyming Hawaiian primer
Published in
1 min readAug 12, 2020
Aloha — that’s an easy one
Lovely day, to everyone!
Mahalo — a heartfelt thanks
To kupunas (grandmas and -dads)
A hui hou — ‘til I see you
Bye, pronounced “ah-hoo-wee-hoo”
E kala mai — pardon me
I must surf more carefully
Lei — a wreath of leaves or flowers
Oft seen at airport arrivals
Have a poke — “po-kay” bowl
Deconstructed sushi roll
Kahuna — big man on campus
Dignitary, priest … or priestess?
Honu — are those green sea turtles
Who paddle in saline circles
Haole — means foreigner
Can be a mean moniker
Honolulu — sheltered harbor
Grave for many a ship martyr