Kaona

Kaona: the hidden meaning. A Hawaiian word. Riddle, rhythm, and reverence.

In Hawaiian, the word kaona refers to hidden meanings, layers of significance buried beneath the surface, often in poetry or chant. You don’t always see them. You feel them. And the deeper you go, the more you realise that meaning isn’t something you explain. It’s something you experience.

KAONA

By Karimah

In a land kissed by salt and flame,

Kaona was born under a Hawaiian name.

She spoke in riddles, in waves, in smoke—

and every sentence she left with a meaning half-broke.

Her language? Lava.

Her silence? Rain.

She taught me how to hide meaning

Within layers of paint

They said she could see the second sky,

read thunder like scripture, and laughed when you cry.

So I traced her shape in acrylic and light,

a woman who danced between shadow and sight.

She wore flower behind each ear,

one for what’s hidden, one for what’s near.

She braided secrets into chains of leis,

And tucked advice within everyday praise.

Her eyes carried legends.

Her hands carved wind.

She said,

“Not every truth arrives loud. Some slip in with a grin.”

So I hollowed my lungs

and hallowed the one,

let breath become prayer

and silence touch the sun.

Now when I paint,

and my brush starts to hum,

it’s Kaona who whispers,

“Say more than you’ve sung.”

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