The Days After

Along with an official death toll of 106, 1,300 were still not accounted for as of Monday—NY Times, August 16, 2023

The scale of this disaster defeats any attempt

to comprehend the breadth and permanence

of its losses. 1,300 people still not found,

106 dead, hundreds of homes and businesses

burnt, along with cars, grasses, trees

and power lines, and the usual human

error related to keeping the power on. Surely,

hospitals would have generators. Surely,

the risk to some patients could not outweigh

allowing tens of thousands to face the fires.

But neither the electric company nor anybody

else knew the numbers in time. We learn

lessons from ashes, from video that caught

the early moments, first pylons down

catching fire, shooting up the grassy

hillside the flames. Now we have to weigh

how to bring tourists back with respect

and dignity, learning to surf, scuba diving,

lazing on the beach while up the coast

who is left in Lahaina mourns

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