With the long wooing of a plangent woe. . .
She cut the web at last and let him go.
She cut the web at last and let him go.
Across the harbor stood the Wainae,
Vast opal mountains open to the sun
Save for the middle, where the deep shades lie
Purple and blue. She watched the shadows run
Into the fastness of the cleft, where none
But shadow people go, and none return
Out of old depths of sandal-wood and fern.
Vast opal mountains open to the sun
Save for the middle, where the deep shades lie
Purple and blue. She watched the shadows run
Into the fastness of the cleft, where none
But shadow people go, and none return
Out of old depths of sandal-wood and fern.
And then old Eric died. She heard the news
As one who waits too long to alter much
The heavy groove of living. Smuggler crews
Stole in at night to bring her smoke and touch
Women and drink her saki. She was such
A witch for all kanaka boys that they
Didn't dare tell her all they came to say.
As one who waits too long to alter much
The heavy groove of living. Smuggler crews
Stole in at night to bring her smoke and touch
Women and drink her saki. She was such
A witch for all kanaka boys that they
Didn't dare tell her all they came to say.
Didn't dare tell her how her son had dropped
His father into green, under the bow;
Didn't dare tell her how he furled, and stopped,
Then tacked for days above him. Chiefly how
This huge Hawaiian skipper picked a row
With every Swede who said she was a whore
Or told old Eric's trouble. So ashore
His father into green, under the bow;
Didn't dare tell her how he furled, and stopped,
Then tacked for days above him. Chiefly how
This huge Hawaiian skipper picked a row
With every Swede who said she was a whore
Or told old Eric's trouble. So ashore
He dumped his Chinese cargo, left it all
For any muddy pirate, hidden in weeds,
And ran without a ballast into a squall
Like a pure madman, having left his Swedes
Who knew some navigation mere half-breeds
For any muddy pirate, hidden in weeds,
And ran without a ballast into a squall
Like a pure madman, having left his Swedes
Who knew some navigation mere half-breeds
