Maui, The Hawaiian Hero

by Sanku

Maui, the shapeshifting demigod of Hawaiian legend

Intrepid trickster, scared, not even of the mighty Sun ;

Determined was he to see the earthlings troubles lessened,

He challenged the Sun God La to change his usual run.

Now, La the Sun God, loved too much to sleep in his crater

That he dashed across the sky too fast every single day.

There was not enough light to dry their tapas or say their prayers

Their crops, starved of sun rays, would simply wilt and decay.

Hina, his mother warned him not to misjudge La

But she helped to make a trap that Sun's rays can't burn

With that off he went to the top of Mt Hale-a-ka-la

Dead set on facing the lazy La and his power to spurn

When the sun came up the mount, Maui threw the snare

And trapped and tied all the sixteen legs of La's as planned.

Though enraged at this insolence, he could only shout and stare

And relented to listen to the earthlings just demands.

He agreed to go slow across the sky for half the year,

Thus giving the humans a yearly gift of splendid summer.

But the other half for his beauty sleep he would adhere

And the Sun God could sleep more in the days of Winter.

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tapas is a cloth woven from the bark of trees

Maui is popular trickster hero of Hawaiian legends. He is supposed to have lifted the islands of Hawaii from the sea with his magic hook. His legends are very interesting . There are so many versions and details in Google .I have used only the basic outline .

hale -a- ka-la means 'house of the sun'
I was so fascinated by the myths of Maui that i wanted to share it with you I am not good in maintaining metre and rhyme. Being a story I thought the poem should rhyme . So I have managed to rhyme somewhat. Please bear with me in my clumsy attempt.
Thank you Moonwillow for the artwork.

Pays one point and 2 member cents.

Artwork by MoonWillow at FanArtReview.com

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rhymed stanzas

Maui, The Hawaiian Hero

by Sanku

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