To Depart on Such a Day
Why does death evoke a deeper sadness
On Halloween or Dia de los Muertos
Or All Saints Day or All Souls Day?
We gather to honor the ancestors
of birth and blood, of choice, and love on these days…
Family, friends, wise teachers who have left this life.
A sweet remembrance each year
Of lives well lived. Of love felt, tender and true.
We seek wisdom for our journey,
comfort in knowing and being known.
To depart on such a day
Feels profoundly sorrowful
yet inexplicably sacred.
We honor those who have crossed the veil
At this time of year
with flowers, photos, candles, favorite foods,
touchstones of life help us remember them in death.
These are raw, holy…wholly sacred days in which
We embody vulnerability mixed with fond memories
As we reach across the veil,
hoping our loved ones reach back
To grasp our hand if even for a moment.
But, what about those
who depart amid this time
When the veil is oh so thin?
We want to reach
through the veil to pull them back
Into this world but we cannot.
Grief reaches the core of our being…
A sucker punch from the universe.
This day…
These days will never be the same.
for Carla 11-2-22
