we look down
on the tops of clouds
rainbows mist
below
toward mauka
UV laden air
is harsh
crunch of cinder
on boots
we descend
four miles
of silent switchbacks
drizzling clouds
reveal
iron, rust, red, white, and burnt orange
Pele’s paint pot
spilled upon
volcanic puʻu
silversword, ʻāhinahina,
Maui’s sunflower
reach up
with hairy silver green leaves
raw land
gives way
yellow and black bands
around webbed feet
are spied
through heavy black binoculars
ruffled neck feathers and
buffed yellow-orange cheeks
waddling and soft calls
herd goslings
the clutch
accounted for
shielded volcano
Maui’s gift
protects
another day
—
Leah Graham is an environmental educator and artist. She earned a Master of Science in Environmental Studies from Ohio University, researching nesting ecology of diamondback terrapins; a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology from Mount Union College; and a graduate certificate in Scientific Illustration from the University of Washington. She has served Kent State University’s Office of Sustainability since 2013, currently as Sustainability Coordinator. With her husband and children, she lives near the Cuyahoga River.
