A long life
Well-lived
The center
Of attention
And rightly so
Possessing a beauty
Difficult to describe-
Like a grandmother
Whose arms were able
To reach out in
All directions
At the same time
You pulled us in
Shared your stories
And listened to ours-
You were taken
In an instant
No one will sit
In the wisdom
Of your shade again-
And my heart is broken
I am saddened by the news of wildfires in Maui, Hawaii. The one-hundred-fifty-year-old Banyan tree I sat under a few weeks ago is gone. Along with it, most of the town to which it was the center.
A quaint main street lined with local businesses and restaurants. The constant sound of ocean waves. People, nature, structures-a way of life-all taken in a terrifying instant. I couldn’t allow the day to end without expressing my love and heartache for this beautiful place.
Lahain Banyan Court Park-Destroyed by wildfires August 9, 2023.
Piano Girl 
Oh no, what a huge loss. I have been away from the news. I am so glad you wrote a poem in this tree’s honor.
Sending these lines back to you.
“Like a grandmother
Whose arms were able
To reach out in
All directions”
We must keep planting trees.
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We must. ❤️😢
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My mom just shared this with me. I had not heard. I thought of you when she told me knowing you were there and it inspired so much! Your words always provide the perfect way to share thoughts and feelings. The Center…wrapping arms just as your grandmother told stories like this beautiful old tree. I’m so sad to hear about this. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
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It is so sad. So much destruction. 😢🙏
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🙏🙏🥹
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I just heard of this. How fortunate you were able to sit under and enjoy it when you did, and return home to write such a beautiful tribute to that Banyon tree. So moving!
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Thank you, Mary. It’s so very sad. 😢 Such a beautiful place.
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