Student Publishing Program ::

Jordan Vanderhooft

Tropical Paradise

When I wake up and step onto the porch
Overlooking the ocean and the hotel yard,
The warm, moist air clings to my skin,
Like the gecko clinging to the wall,
Who is already sunbathing in the radiant sun.

I approach the pool with its crystal, light blue water
As the sun reappears from the lonely cloud floating in the sky.
The crashing waves of the ocean,
And the warm, whirling wind in the coconut trees
Calms my senses, putting me in my own little piece of paradise.

As I walk onto the beach,
The warm sand moves through my toes.
The seagulls are searching for food, as well as the pelicans,
Dive-bombing into the ocean,
Like a coconut that falls and shatters on the ground.

I pull out my chair and throw my clothes on it,
As I lather up with my pungent sunscreen. The burning sun,
Heating up my skin, prompts me to jump into the ocean,
Where the ocean water rushes to greet me,
While I soak it up like a sponge.

[TABLE OF CONTENTS, LHS CLASS OF 2011 EDITION]