Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 34, Number 6, 1 June 2017 — Trees [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Trees

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like trees. All kinds of trees. Koa. Ohia. Koaia. Banyan. Ulu. Kamane. Milo.

Kou. Kauila. Walnut. Mango. Naio. Kiawe. Lychee. Lime. Lemon. Lauhala. Kukui. Coco-

nut. Grapefruit. Mango. Papaya. Lama. Uhiuhi. Douglas fir. Apple. Norfolk Island pine. Wiliwili. Trees provide shade, serve as shelter belts, delineate property lines, dress up a yard, provide fruit and nuts for a table, flowers for lei, logs for making ships, racing canoes and framing for houses, material for paddles, baseball bats, walking canes, hope chests, flooring, pens and pencils, fence posts, butcher blocks, letter

openers, pendants, boardroom and pienie tables, church pews, rocking chairs, bowls for storing food and holding holy water. Trees provide habitat for birds, critters and creatures of all kinds, suck carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, manufacture oxygen and protect the 'aina from erosion. One of my favorite poems is by Joyce Kilmer. Mrs. Brand was my third teacher. She taught it to us. It's titled "TREES." TREES by Joyce Kilmer I think that I shall ne\>er see A poem as lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest. Against the earth 's sweet flowering breast. A tree that looks at God all day. And lifts her lovely arms to pray (pule). A tree that may in Summer wear A nest ofrobins (iiwi) in her hair. Upon whose bossom Snow (sunshine) has lain. Who intimately lives with rain (ua). Poems are made byfools like me. But only God ean make a tree.

The other poem Mrs. Brand introduced us to was "The Village Blacksmith." It had a tree in it also, a 'spreading chestnut tree' under whose canopy the blacksmith stood

for respite between jobs or to chat with passersby. We eaeh have a favorite tree or trees. I have several. Our preferences are so individual and tethered deeply to the family traditions and predilections we are born into, the values and biases with whieh we were raised and the 'aina we're so loyal to. Because I'm kamaaina to Waimea and hail from a long line of paniolo, I like kiawe (commonly known as mesquite). For fencing kiawe is no ka oi. Strong, long-lasting kiawe. No other tree stands above it for

'making fence.' No other. Why? It lasts forever. Doesn't rot out like pine or eucalyptus. There are kiawe corner posts on several sections of Parker Ranch, huge monsters whieh were put in plaee by crews a hundred plus years ago. They still stand tall and strong in deathly silence a century later weathered by the wind, hot sun and the kipu'upu'u rain, some lei draped with lichens proudly performing the task they were assigned to do ten decades ago. Keep the pipi (cattle) from wandering off into the Kohala Mountains or the Mauna Kea foothills to elude being ground into hamburger, sawed into sirloin tip steaks or some other high end cut. Kiawe burns hot, real hot. It's the perfect fuel for the wood stove, fireplace and imu. It's smoky perfume from its embers will take your breath away. Bees will suck the nectar from its flowers. Kiawe honey is like no other. And kiawe beans are like candy to pigs. For the smoker, guava and Christmas berry produce the best smoke for char siu or any kind of beef, poultry, and pork. For making ukuleles, guitars and violins, koa is the crēme de la crēme of Hawaiian woods especially pheasant koa. Koa is the fairest of all woods. Its beauty, character, elegance unsurpassed. I'm out of room and will continue this segment next month. I will about a very speeial tree Ohi'a-Ohi'a-Tree in Crisis. ■

Rūbert K. Lindsey, Jr.

Trustee, Hawai'i