Bloganuary Daily Prompt for January 25, 2023: What is a song or poem that speaks to you and why?
From Nicki Flores’ Journal
Under the Sulani Sun
Through the years
and sudden tears
you’ve seen me through
most of my fears.
Now beneath the rising sun
waves break, day has begun.
Greet the morning, promises renew.
Our labor, our play, our life we’ve spun.
I came across an old Sulani folk song, and it spoke it me, seeming to describe my new life here with Dad. I wonder how many others, filling their lives with labor, rest, and play, find themselves living this same song.
It’s funny how a simple song, with trite rhymes and common rhythms, can express deep truths of living. Sometimes, I think all of life is contained within simplicity.
My new writing studio is gorgeous. It looks out over the jungle behind our house. Our island is so small, but it’s big enough for a jungle!
Dad seems so happy. It’s funny to me to see him on the beaches, since he’s always been such a mountaineering guy. But he seems to love it. I think that, most of all, he feels inspired that the simple tasks he does each day for his job make a difference in improving the environment here.
He spends most morning picking up trash.
Plastics and discarded fishing nets can do so much damage to the wildlife, so every piece he collects and recycles makes a significant contribution.
When he’s not clearing up the trash, he’s talking to others about the importance of conservation or taking water samples.
He says these things don’t feel like work to him–they’re interesting and fun and useful. And they also afford lots of time for hanging out on the beach or taking swims in the bays.
It feels great to see him so happy.
I love the islands, too. Our little house is off-grid and we haven’t had any trouble generating enough power or water. It’s sunny almost every day, so our solar panels produce so much energy. There’s also a small spring on the island, and we have our dew collectors.
Dad brought the chickens and seeds from his old garden. The chickens have adjusted great! We don’t have to worry about predators, so they just wander around the island all day. And the plants in the garden are slowly growing.
The trickiest part for me is finding ways to go jogging. I can’t just run out the house anymore and jog through the neighborhood, since our island is so small and jungle-covered. But at low tide, I can run across a sand bridge to the next island, which is quite close and much larger. It has some great trails through it–and no cars!
Asuka’s already been over to visit. It felt so great to have her here.
She figures she should be able to come over once a month or so. But it still hurts whenever she has to say goodbye and head back to the city.
I thought about moving someplace closer. But for now, I really want to be here. This is a great place to write, without a lot of distractions. And the islands are so beautiful.
And with Dad getting older, I just want to be around. I like to soak up his happiness, now that he’s happier than he’s ever been in his life. Under the Sulani sun, we’re doing pretty well with our labor and play and this new life we’ve spun!
Cathy Tea's SimLit Anthology 