Formosa

Formosa, enchanting isle of lush emerald green;

Flaming hibiscus cooled with lovely lotus flowers;

Grass mountains as of moss reaching to the sky;

Gentle breezes whispering through the Kinokee trees;

Winding roads, silver waterfalls streaming down glens:

Formosa, tropical paradise of full-bloomed contentment,

terraced farms looking like gardens, manicured in style;

Wagons, carts, pedicabs traveling along the road,

Singing, smiling people, at work and at play through the day:

Formosa, island of a thousand dreams and yearnings,

At night is a magical place with moonlight dripping

From leaf and grass, spilling from pools and waiting,

Waiting for those who are the enchanted.

from Ilha Formosa, poems of Formosa

copyright 1954 - Patricia Jones Meissner