Roots
Lahaina, HI
2024, Junior, Poetry & Spoken Word
The roots entangle in the ground
Thick as the ribbons of friendship
That have laced my childhood
Strong as the cement
That paved Front Street
As the roots stretch deep into the ground
The ribbons, in turn, weave
And plant firmly in the safehouse,
the glimmering gold treasure chest
Beholding my powerful possession
Potentially eternal, but perpetually threatening to flee
It is in the memories
That refuse to subdue to –
To cave, and release the coveted key
Into the deathly, withered hands of forgetfulness
It is in the roots, planted firmly, entangled in the ground
Which wards away the plague of forgetfulness
And that forever perpetuates Lahaina
Reflection
Reflection
On August 8th, my town, Lahaina, was engulfed in flames. Over a hundred lives were lost, and thousands of buildings, businesses, and homes crumbled to nothing but ash. Though my home did not burn, countless of my friends, teachers, and coaches lost their homes to the fire. Wildfires have become increasingly prominent due to global warming, and the rising temperatures (and therefore dryness of the island) are attributed to the unprecedented enormity of the fire. The destruction brought by it was unfathomable, but even so, I wanted to create a poem that has subtle themes of hope in it. I decided to write about the Banyan tree - an iconic symbol of Lahaina - and use the metaphor of a trees’ roots and compared it to my own roots in Lahaina. Though the Banyan tree did burn, it is still alive, just as the memories of Lahaina are. I hope that my poem will convey the importance of climate action by bringing to light the destruction yet the hope for the future I have witnessed through the Lahaina wildfire.