While a mile inland many strong native trees 

such as the gajimaru (banyan trees) 

and the tough Australian pines 

perished in the wild typhoons of the last few years,

the row of satokibi's on the rocks below our wall 

and just yards from the raging sea withstood storm after storm.

And not just wind and waves but mountains of water 

crashing into them minute after minute, hour after hour, 

their only tenuous anchorage in the lava rock. 

Sadly, after last year's final super-typhoon 

it looked like they had relinquished the fight for survival -  

all that could be seen was a row of dead hulks, ready  to decay.

But then, amazingly, within the last few weeks,

 nature has shown us a minor miracle.