The moment at dawn
when rich-hued packets of light
daub the air above
     the pines in golden stillness,
     and leave their boles in shadow.

Snow banner, curling
from a dagger-pointed peak.
      Wall of the Washoe.

Ocean's scent, breeze, thrum:
      the pain and relief
      of simply being.

To stand in awe,
familiar and yet unknown:
a painting to cherish.

To know your hero's
choice in wallpaper, glassware,
is sweetly intimate.

Maritime powerhouse,
laid bare and exposed...
   eager to rejoin the chase.

Dark, glistening back
   shrugs off the eternal waves
       with divine patience.