TW: death mention, needles. this is a small photo dump to commemorate a shift in my life after the loss of one of our family members: Pono. Our dog came to us in his old age. He received acupuncture every week for his back. He was such a resilient animal. His death was not peaceful, and it has brought me to deep contemplations about life, pain, rebirth, and survival. I see these recurring themes in my camera roll now— the ear to listen, the modification of the body, the needles that cause me small deaths and rebirths, the alchemizing of “the passing on”... and I am moved. I hope to make sense of where I came from- of where we are going- of where Pono went while we held him in our arms and he looked out at my dad for the last time. It was hurtful for me to see such a kind dog reach a painful end; he has left me with many questions about my life to which I hope to find in-progress answers. Mahalo to you, Pono. Aloha ʻoe, until we meet again.