It is my special pleasure to introduce the contributors to ALOHA LA'A KEA (Sacred Light of Love) - 2020 Savant Poetry Anthology. 

Thirty-five remarkable poets including Greg Dasalla, Garrett Uehara, Moses Pilla, Malia Elliott, Nicole Maika’i-St. Louis, Jay Palompo, Ken Rasti, James Andrade, Dorothy Winslow Wright, Skyla Reyes, Karen Sisler, Hongri Yuan, Daniel S. Janik, Rüdiger Herzing Rückmann, Chuck St. Louis, Michael Lau, Milionea Toluao, Christopher Scott Halicion, Brent Kutara, Uhene, Miranda Zhang, Sidney Esperas, Paul Giovenco, Eddie Aribon, Chino Villa, Cathy A. Schultz, Kimo Dunn, Kaethe Kauffman, Serena Saleh, Cigeng Zhang, Martin Estaban, Mike Patelo, Mark Kempf, Abram Rocky Horner and Conner Maika'i-St. Louis contributed eighty-six outstanding poems. 

When I was selected to be the guest editor for the 2020 Savant Poetry Anthology, I presented Savant with a challenge: In times like these of drastic change, it's all too easy to forget the many blessings we have, the greatest of which is life itself. While in the past, Savant let the poems determine the theme, I've edited this edition with the thought of "praise," namely, praise for that greatest of gifts, life, and the privilege of being alive. Savant has never done a "praise" anthology per se, and keeping it non-sectarian and culturally diverse proved quite demanding. Interestingly, while the call for submissions didn't state any theme, most of the poems included in this year's anthology, ALOHA LA'A KEA (Sacred Light of Love) - 2020 Savant Poetry Anthology are indeed poems of praise in one way or another, as reflected in the anthology title, which was taken from my own native Hawaiian language. It is my hope that this tenth Savant Poetry Anthology will prove uplifting to every reader's spirit, leaving everyone with a profound sense of awe and appreciation for, once again, simply being alive. 

Multi-award-winning poet, Uhene (Robert Maika'i Jr), lives in the beautiful, paradise state of Hawaii. Single, no children, he loves people and anything that tastes of the mango. His Grandfather, Kawika Smith from Molokai, took him to first theater movie at five years of age, a Samurai production, and thus began his poetic career on the streets of Waikiki.