The Lei Maker
By Keith Haugen

He sits alone, carefully stringing flowers into beautiful leis. And he remembers.

His hair is white; his beard is long
Corners of his eyes show that he's been around a long time.
But he still smiles and he laughs a lot
He remembers when he was just a tot in Hilo.
But that's all gone; it's all gone.

The ships sailed in, the ships sailed out;
Cane haul trucks rumbled about in the morning.
While keikis played, their mothers made leis
For folks who came from far away places.
But that's all gone; it's all gone.

The ships don't come and the few that do
Don't carry people like they used to do
Times have changed, It's all so fast;
Here today, but nothing lasts.
And he makes leis, he makes leis.

It's all that left of his Hawaiian life;
He took over when he lost his wife in the forties.
His children all have moved away;
He hopes that they'll come back someday, to see him.
And he makes leis, he makes leis

His Hawaiian life has changed a lot
Since he was just a little tot in Hilo.
Aloha now is just a word
Seldom felt, but often heard in Hawai`i.
And he makes leis, he makes leis.

Life goes on and he sings his song,
He sings of days and times long gone.
He hums and whistles and strings his leis;
He bides his time and passes his days.
And he makes leis, he makes leis.

Yes, he makes leis, he makes leis, he makes leis.

Copyright 1979, C. Keith Haugen