I decided to submit some poems to Round 9 of our writing group. This is the first of three poems I submitted, and it refers to the time I lived in Micronesia in the early 1990s. Growing up in a land-locked state, I was amazed at how beautiful the sunrises were in the islands! This poem tries to capture the awe of seeing my first ocean sunrise.  I am also including the poem that I was trying to imitate - you can be the judge of how well I did.

Sunrise in Micronesia
by Rusty Keele

The volcano at the edge of the earth

has erupted - molten lava blankets

the horizon and slowly sinks into

the sea.  The night has slunk away -

having ignited the fuse of day.

(In imitation of Elizabeth Bishop's Rain Towards Morning)

Sunrise in Micronesia copyright © 1994 Rusty Keele.  All rights reserved.

Rain Towards Morning
by Elizabeth Bishop

The great light cage has broken up in the air,

freeing, I think, about a million birds

whose wild ascending shadows will not be back,

and all the wires come falling down.

No cage, no frightening birds; the rain

is brightening now.  The face is pale

that tried the puzzle of their prison

and solved it with an unexpected kiss,

who freckled unsuspected hands alit.

(Part II from Four Poems)