I ... entered the poem of life, whose purpose is ... simply to witness the beauties of the world, to discover the many forms that love can take. (Barabara Blackman in 'Glass After Glass')

These poems are works in progress and may be updated without notice. Nevertheless copyright applies to all writings here and all photos (which are either my own or used with permission). Thank you for your comments. I read and appreciate them all, and reply here to specific points that seem to need it — or as I have the leisure. Otherwise I reciprocate by reading and commenting on your blog posts as much as possible.

31 October 2014

On Samhain Night















On Samhain night, when the veil is thin,
I collect photos of those gone before.
I set them out for viewing,
I do them honour.

It is the time of festivity for them,
our predecessors — sires, mothers,
siblings, lovers, spouses, friends,
others even longer gone….

How deeply must we reverence
those who bestowed their love
upon us, those who were here
in their lives, living.

They were here in their homes;
they knew us.  They return
to our homes which were theirs
for one night’s visit.

We owe them this: for love, for blood,
for respect, for the proper
sequence of things, for every
bond which lingers.

This is the time which we give
to them, to remember
who they were then, once —
now only ghosts.

Welcome, beloveds. We esteem you.
Here is your spot — sit, dine!
Be with us. When you go, rest
in our love until next time.


31 Poems in 31 Days (Poewar / Writers Resource Center). Prompt: Use no words with the letter a, except one word where it appears twice.

Poets United Midweek Motif: Halloween, or Celebrating the Dead; what does it truly mean to you?  (I addressed the prompt as given. However, this is the Southern Hemisphere! For what this date really signifies to me, see the next poem.)

12 comments:

  1. And so it is! Beautifully put Rosemary.

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  2. Beautiful! Tone and sequence and image and love--all beautiful!

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  3. Beautiful and nice to see an honouring of the tradition as it should be.

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  4. Lovely reminder of the importance of honoring our loved ones! Thank you for sharing!

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    1. Yes, that's really what it's all about — a special date and a special ritual simply provide means and occasion to express this.

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  5. When we forget those who have gone before us we lose a part of ourselves. Beautiful and respectful

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  6. Yes, they are with us, in our hearts...~ Nice combination for prompts!

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  7. It is good to honor those who have lived before in any way we can!

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  8. A beautiful way to honor those who come before.

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  9. What a lovely image this presents. Any way we honor people now gone, is a fitting tribute to their lives.

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