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