Oracles

ON WAIKIKI BEACH UPHEAVED from Chaos, through the dark sea hurled, Through the cleft heart of the amazèd sea, Sprang, ’mid deep thunderous throats of majesty, Titanic, in the waking of the world ; Sprang, one vast mass of spume and molten fire, Lava, tremendous waves of earth ; sprang higher Than the sea’s crest volcano-torn, to be Written in Cyclopean charactery, Hawaii. Here she stands Queen of all laughter’s lands That dance for dawn, lie tranced in leisured noon, Dreaming through day towards night, Craving the perfumed light Of the stars lustrous, and the gem-born moon. Dewy with clustered diamond, The long land swoons to sleep ; the sea sleeps and yet wakes beyond. Here, in the crescent beach and bay, the sea, Curven and carven in warm shapes of dream, Answers the love-song of the lilied stream, And moves to bridal music. Stern and free, I05