Jonathan Kieran

Catastrophe on top of cataclysm strangled by disaster! The once-gorgeous little seaside paradise of Lahaina on the Island of Maui in Hawaii has apparently burned entirely to the ground amid a local, swift-moving wildfire, with some thirty-six people dead and/or unaccounted-for.

Let the mountains fall upon our heads in despair! Lahaina was the delightful, balmy scene of some of my own most beloved Hawaiian experiences, whether strolling leisurely along the tidy coastal streets of that dear town and shopping at eccentric boutiques or open-air markets, popping into ocean-misted shoreline lounges for a sun-dappled cocktail, and settling into a booth at the long-gone (but famous) David Paul’s Island Grill for toe-curling gastronomic tantalization. The whole setting was a true slice of Paradise Pie topped with a dollop of inimitable Maui magic.

The news is devastating to every human sensibility and treasured memory. One reels at the very thought that such a horror could take place mere yards away from endless sparkling waters, and the loss of human life is shattering to the absolute core of the spirit. I still can’t wrap my considerable powers of comprehension around this tragedy, and I have fled six wildfires in various states of panic while living in sunny, coastal California.

Godspeed and the grievous prayers of astonishment surge on tides of heartbreak to all who lost their lives, businesses, and family members. Contact the Red Cross or some other worthy, on-the-spot organization to assist the stricken survivors. Hawaii is America’s friendliest face. Unthinkable devastation has occurred. Hold your memories close, Maui-lovers. Aloha and woe.

———

#Lahaina #Maui #Wildfire #Catastrophe #LossOfLife #Hawaii #Devastation #Heartbreak #Memories #AuthorJonathanKieran #JonathanKieran #WriterJonathanKieran #CaliforniaLife #OnTheEdge #Wistwood #JonathanKieranTheAuthor #JonathanKieranMusic #JonathanKieranNewAlbum #JonathanKieranArtist #Jericho #JonathanKieranJericho #JerichoAlbum #WritersOfInstagram