John Laue

DAWN ON MAUI

The horizontal clouds
above Molokai and Lanai
are turning pearly.
I sit with a cigarette
looking through the interstices
of a palm tree,
watching light come slowly
to the sky and ocean.
All night long I’ve heard
white noise, seen white lines
of phosphorescent surf
advance through darkness.
Once a boat’s dim lights
swept from left to right
but that was all the news
from civilization.
It seemed as if
I were in a wilderness
lying next to
some great beast
which kept me awake
with its loud breathing.

–from Rattle #27, Summer 2007