Sunday Surf Poem: Prayer for Surf

This week’s Sunday Surf Poem is hailing from Hawaiʻi. It’s Prayer for Surf by Ryan Oishi.

Prayer for Surf was written by Ryan Oishi. Ryan is a Honolulu-based educator, writer, and community advocate, with a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Hawaiʻi. His work reflects a deep commitment to Hawaiian culture, education, and community service.

Prayer for Surf

by Ryan Oishi

Lord, by your divine grace, may the surf be epic tomorrow
the way Guy Hagi said on the surf report last night
but not too epic, Lord, head high or smaller please,
otherwise I no can handle

Lord, may there be no sharks in the water,
cruising in da surf,
but if get, Lord, please surround me with other surfers
just in case of one shark attack

except of course Lord, if all da surfers are Hawaiian,
or part-Hawaiian, cause a guy
wen tell me that sharks no attack Hawaiians,
(Hawaiians eat fish / eat Hawaiians / eat / fish eat Hawaiians—
I heard that somewhere too, Lord)

but Lord, not too many surfers, please,
or else going be like one H-1 traffic jam, all back up,
or more worse,
like Canoes, ho dat place is dangerous

remember, last summer, Lord, my friend,
the skeg wen split his thigh open,
all the way to the bone,
could see the nerves and da fat tissue and everyting spilling out,
blood everywhere,
guaranteed had sharks, Lord

Lord, in that case, maybe couple surfers then,
like da time had da sewage spill
after the 40 days of rain
and couple people wen make cause dey wen catch
the flesh-eating disease, no not leprosy Lord,
(blessed be Father Damien)

ho the rain was biblical Lord,
you must have been piss off
for try and drown us

But remember, Lord,
had only me and this other guy,
Lance I tink his name was,
and e-veryting was perfeck,

had choke waves, no more nobody,
just me and Lance
and not too much wind—
ho, Lord, I caught so much waves
I could barely lift my arms afterwards

Lord, may the water not be too cold tomorrow morning
may I wake up early so I can surf dawn patrol
may I not forget the sunblock this time
or da wax
may I not be mistaken for a Japanese tourist

Lord, tell Fate Yanagi I love her

May I not be on-call tomorrow at the PK,
otherwise I no can go
but hopefully, may I work the day after that
so I can pay my car insurance

Lord, May Rasta Jap not be present tomorrow,
da guy one asshole,
he take all da waves that fucka,
even the shitty ones,
and no share with nobody—
at least he get one shitty car,
probably no more car insurance

Thank you, Lord.

Lord, in your divine wisdom,
may they build more luxury condos
along Ala Moana—
no can see da mountains anymore,
but da buildings so tall
they block da wind
and da sunsets looks so beautiful
in green tinted windows.