Green ribbon hedges bound with bright hibiscus
Flame petal carpets under rain-washed trees
Early morning rooster call and echoing reply
As the pale was of dawn lights up the day
The peace of morning ruffled only by whispering palms
While the merciless sun steals into melt away the shade
In a sunlit corner or under a shady bough
Not far from home, a loved-one’s tomb
Enfolding itself in nature’s bounty
To be cherished everyday
Bleached-bone trees along the shoreline
The ocean flashing blue between
Pale yellow flowers which bend to kiss the sand
Glittering tide race and gentle roar of surf upon the reef
Flat light of noon in silken heat lying heavy on the sea
Blue starfish woven deep in coral lace
Awaiting the cooling nights, while in the shallows
A myriad tiny fish taunt the dipping terns
Thunderous clouds aflame in dusky light
Pooled pink in duck-egg blue
The sky velvet dark, strewn with outsize stars
While far below the ghostly glide of a hundred tiny crabs over silver sand.
Karin Simon