morning haze of smoky dust

by Elouise

morning haze of smoky dust
gives way to cool breezes
dancing over crystal blue
icy waters of the vast caldera
lined with cliffs rising precipitously

pure waters shimmer
beneath reflected clouds
gentle ripples skim across
miles of blues and greens
shifting capriciously
unintentionally spawning
a subtle tapestry of
patterned wavelets beside
huge swaths of circular
mirror-perfect calm

silence reigns
broken by the
call of a lone eagle
catching currents of air
rising above the water
a heady mix of life
and grandeur in this
living monument to
fiery eruptions
presaging the end
of the known world

* * *

© Elouise Renich Fraser, 23 September 2014