The Best Is Not What’s Lost

If you can see any tints
In the clouds, dawn’s already
Here, day’s already begun.

There’s been a spate of research
Calculating what’s been lost,
What must have been lost of what

Was created. Statistics
Extrapolating species
Out there from species observed

Can be used similarly
To estimate how many
Texts or artworks there were once,

Based on how many survive.
Maybe inevitably,
People contemplating this—

The inference libraries
Collectively greater than
Alexandria’s, the Han’s,

Once existed that don’t now—
Have suggested those losses
Were of the best among them.

But you’ll never know, will you?
You can’t agree on the best
You have, much less what would be

The best of what you can’t see.
If you can see any tints
In the clouds, then that’s your dawn.