For Lahe'ena'e Gay,  killed 3/4/99 in Columbia. 

		  An Elegy

When I think of Lahe, I think of the Earth--
The mountains, the trees, the streams, the seas--
The waves, the winds, the currents, the tides
And the moon drifting through the skies.
When I visualize Lahe, I recall holding her hands
And I hear water falling, splashing, and laughing in mountain pools
On the Big Island, on Maui, on Molokai, on Oahu, and Kauai: 
Ripples cross the surface to nudge my skin
And there are rainbows in the spray
As the wind swirls and lifts the fine mist
Up and over the cliffs.
Somehow she still seems near
As if I catch the scent of her hair.
If only the Plumeria were in blossom,
If only the shama's clear, crisp song 
Could replace this fragance which is forever gone.
Lahe, you are the tears within me I have never cried,
The beauty of the universe shines in your eyes,
You are the part of my soul which will never die.
The Earth weeps tears this night for a child so dear
As do I.