Ambergris

AMBERGRIS 65 FROM ORACLES On Waikiki Beach Upheaved from chaos, through the dark sea hurled, Through the cleft heart of the amaz’d 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 sleeps : 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, The lion-shapen headland guards the shore ; The ocean, the bull-throated, evermore Roars ; the vast wheel of heaven turns above, Its rim of pain, its jewelled heart of love ; Sun-waved, the eagle wing Of the air of feathered spring Royally sweeps, and on the musical merge Watches alone the man. O silvern shape and span Of moonlight, reaching over the grey, large