Tahitian Sunset

Soft whispers of Ia Oranna glide through

Mountain peaks upon sultry, vanilla

Winds.

Indigo waves carry the HMS Bounty to

Exotic Tahitian shores,

Seeking breadfruit to feed a far off

Slave population.

Tiki gods weep as mutinous missionaries

Of a desert Christ find

Refuge in rainforest caves.

Ancient maeves crumble and are

Lost upon the eve of a conquered

Civilization.

Spanish, English, Chinese then Frenchmen

Reweave the palm tapestry

Of Maori life and myth.

Now Tahitian sunsets gleam with an

Array of luminous rainbow colors from

The East and West.

By Jan Grokett 1/6/07

Ia Oranna is Polynesian for Hello

Maeves are ancient Tahitian Temples and altars.