It's when the genealogist
removes her glasses
rubs her eyes
grins and sighs
as she begins to realize
her task of tracing families
descends upon new vanities.

She must transcend
ancestral lines
forego all sense
of kith and kin
and only then
delve deep within
to know ohana as few do:

those relatives beyond a branch
where names or blood digress and fade
and kindred spirits promenade
as hands join hands across the seas
extending their communities
with fellowship adopting all
who care to share a world made small.