i’m holding on to hawaii
though i have to leave for now
i’ll retain the pristine vistas
framed by a palm tree bough
i’ll hang on to calming breezes
blowing stress away
and when the cold wind freezes
i’ll think back to hanalei
i’m holding on to hawaii
through the jet-lag and the crash
of returning to the mainland
where the city noises clash
i’ll be hearing distant echoes
of doves that coo at dawn
and the rhythm of the waves
beyond a perfect lawn
i’m holding on to hawaii
when blizzards hide the sky
i’ll pretend i’m watching sunset
from a flower-fringed lanai
i’ll recall the shades of aqua
hued from coral reefs and sand
lush greens of jungle forests
where giant ferns are fanned
‘cause hawaii is that paradise
you always hope to find
and when your day’s encased in ice
it can be a state of mind
yes i’m holding on to hawaii
with a most tenacious grip
‘til necessities and schedules
allow another trip
and even though i’ve flown
almost half a world away
in my mind i’m living
in a land called hanalei