The pull tab pops, producing salty nut puffs
Transporting me to crowded markets
Bordering Waikiki beaches.

Thirty years since that high school choir trip,
Yet I still smell sea breezes that cool my skin
While flopping and failing surfing lessons.

Small ice chunks tease my tongue
Sweet collaborations of pineapple, papaya, passionfruit
Peddled outside our hotel.

I still hum harmonies
Sung under a choral shell
Beneath starry skies.

The soothing ocean swell
As purples and pinks sink into the sea’s surface
Cameras click to collect memories.

Laughing and babbling
As Fritz barters for a blanket
And nearly gets belted. 

Sweet memories stored
In a salty can
Of macadamia nuts.


At a past writing workshop, I was prompted to write a personal memoir based on an object I could see it the room. I’m pleased by these results. If you enjoyed it, I challenge you to write a one of your own based on a item you can see where you are. Feel free to post a link to your poem in the comments once you are done.