Dawn of Valour
Quiet harbour dawn—
Pacific waters lie still
beneath soft sunrise.
Battleships rest in the calm
unaware of coming storm.
Engines pierce the sky—
dark wings cross the morning light
above Oahu.
Sudden thunder splits the peace
as fire falls upon the fleet.
Arizona burns,
smoke climbs through shattered blue air
over silent decks.
Men rush through flame and water
amid chaos and courage.
Across the waves spreads
shock that circles the wide world
like gathering tide.
A sleeping giant wakes now
to the call of bitter war.
Yet from broken steel
rises strength and unity
for battles ahead.
Memory keeps the harbour
where sorrow meets resolve.
Now calm waters rest—
red poppies and white crosses
face the quiet sea.
Peace blooms where the guns once roared
in remembrance of that dawn.
Mar 17
Mar 17, 2026 at 4:25 AM UTC
Dawn of Valour
Quiet harbour dawn—
Pacific waters lie still
beneath soft sunrise.
Battleships rest in the calm
unaware of coming storm.
Engines pierce the sky—
dark wings cross the morning light
above Oahu.
Sudden thunder splits the peace
as fire falls upon the fleet.
Arizona burns,
smoke climbs through shattered blue air
over silent decks.
Men rush through flame and water
amid chaos and courage.
Across the waves spreads
shock that circles the wide world
like gathering tide.
A sleeping giant wakes now
to the call of bitter war.
Yet from broken steel
rises strength and unity
for battles ahead.
Memory keeps the harbour
where sorrow meets resolve.
Now calm waters rest—
red poppies and white crosses
face the quiet sea.
Peace blooms where the guns once roared
in remembrance of that dawn.
On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was struck in a surprise attack that changed the course of the Second World War. This linked tanka sequence reflects the shock of that morning and the resolve that followed.
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