Being raised in Hawaii, with growth and exposure, I’ve felt drawn to cities and busy life outside of the tropics. With the more I saw and learned, the more a place I had never been felt more like home than my own. Still holding admiration for the islands, the pull I feel to a different environment still persists.
Kaneohe, Hawaii November 2017 – Taken by Kellie Toyama
Here,
Everyday the sun hugs my skin warmly,
And the cool toned sky remains constant.
The clear air is easy to laugh carelessly into.
Alone together, on a fragment of land floating gracefully
Everyone sings the same melody of peace.
I could walk the barren streets alone on a Saturday night with safety.
In dusk, only the soft song of birds was heard.
It is ideal to most, as it was to me.
Vinyl, November 2017 – Taken by Kellie Toyama
And then, I heard a voice,
From There.
I spoke sweetly of blues,
Singing in deviance,
Living in utmost confidence.
The draw of the contrast
Gradually flooded my senses,
Taking my hand, to There.
NYC, June 2017 – Taken by Kellie Toyama
There,
No one voice held the same tone.
Dances of individuality were showcased.
Lights never wavered, as the skies did.
It pried my eyes open to how blissfully unaware I had been.
And I was thankful.
The air was thick with noise,
It was sickeningly comforting.
I found a piece of myself,
Though essential, I would have never known existed.
I wanted to make There Here to me.
