Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, DEAD VOLCANO, by HELEN LOUISE STAPLEFORD


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

DEAD VOLCANO, by                    
First Line: Beneath the tao tree at waikiki
Last Line: And pele sleeps through soft hawaiian days.
Subject(s): Waikiki, Hawaii


Beneath the tao tree at Waikiki,
Tired swimmers lie upon the sand at ease,
While served by bright-kimono'd Japanese,
Stout matrons gossip over early tea.
Bronzed children, at the inlet, shout in glee
And rescue tiny crafts from dangerous seas.
Surf riders bend and balance with the breeze.
Life, color, joy reign here at man's decree.

Beyond the silhouette of Diamond Head
Brown rocks, belched forth in fiery wrath, pile high;
Upon the coral reef, a wrecked hulk sways,
As rhythmic as a mass sung for the dead.
Green waves break in white foam. The sea-gulls cry,
And Pele sleeps through soft Hawaiian days.





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