Sun Shower.

Down through the still green gloom of archinp trees
A soakinp rainstorm endlessly descended;
Just where the tunnel of thick bushscrub ended,
Faint sunlight swam through liquid leafy seas.
On ancient tree-trunks towering to the sky—
Seeming too old to stand, too tired to fall
Primeval silence cast its heavy pall,
And ceaseless veils of rain went drifting by.
No buzz of summer bees, nor hopping thrush
Disturbed this paradise of green and gold;
But thick green ferns, a thousand ages old,
Shivered and wavered in the longdrawn hush.
Till one small bell-bird shook a tremulous throat,
Loosened linked echoes down the wet busli-floor;
It seemed no bird had ever sung before,
And F.den's peace was broken by one note!

—Dorothy I. Johnston.

* * *

The Storm.

Like tears of anger, raindrops chase
In cascades down the mountain's face,
While loudly thunder-claps applaud
Each fla'shtng thrust from lightning's sword.
Fierce gales with shrieking laughter mock.
And wildly race from rock to rock;
Then on through moaning tree-tops tear,
Like cruel comb in tangled hair.
Strong boughs as wrestlers twist and strain,
Are parted to attack again.
An aged monarch overthrown
Is hurled to earth with dying groan.
And proudly waving tussock grass
Bows low to let the tyrant pass—
Then suddenly as anger dies—
The lowering frown lifts from the skies.
A breathless stillness holds a while—
Then earth's scarred face’ lights with a smile.
The sun has raised a healing hand,
And arched the sky with rainbowband.

—E.K.M.T.

Sunrise On Lake Wanaka.

The golden glory of sunrise
Fires the-hills;
Or, stooping low, flings myriad gems
O'er babbling rills
That wanto.n by fern shadow'd ways,
While daisies peep, lost in amaze,
At every errant shaft that strays
Where e'er it wills.
Komako's mellow gong acclaims
The golden hours;
Takaka trills a silver flute
Mid tangled bowers.
An opal gem through sunlit space
The dragonfly, in flaming grace,
Darts by on wings of rainbow lace
Where sungold showers.
Fringing vthe lake, tall sentinels,
Bulrushes rise,
With silver'd spear-points challenging
The distant skies:
There the parere, whispering, hides,
Or, leads her brood by grav'ly tides:
And the gray trout silent glides.
Or swooning lies.
Aahu cleaves abyssinal deeps
On tireless wing,
Hurtles to earth in dizzy stoop.
Or, spiralling,
Is lost within a boundless vault
Of lacquered turquoise and cobalt.
Pepepe, flaunting ensign bright
Flits through a lace of shade and light, Enravishing!

—H. Collet.

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