Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Poets United Midweek Motif ~ The Day of the Dead

Soul dancing
source

To the people of New York, Paris, or London, "death" is a word that is never pronounced because it burns the lips. The Mexican, however, frequents it, jokes about it, caresses it, sleeps with it, celebrates it; it is one 
of his favorite toys and most steadfast love. 
Of course, in his attitude perhaps there is as much fear
as there is in one of the others; at least he does not hide it; 
he confronts it face to face with patience, disdain, or irony.
 --Octavio Paz, The Labyrinth of Solitude

Tribe members and their supporters march with signs protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline.
“Destruction of Sacred Burial Grounds Prompts Federal Judge to Protect Some Tribal Sites from Dakota Access Pipeline”  By Larry Buhl • Tuesday, September 6, 2016 
(This did not work out.  The courts and feds must make more decisions.)

Show me the manner in which a nation or a community cares for its dead and I will measure with mathematical exactness the tender sympathies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land and their loyalty to high ideals. 
--William E. Gladstone

William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905) - The Day of the Dead (1859).jpg
The Day of the Dead by 

William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1859)


Midweek Motif ~
The Day of the Dead


November 2nd is the second day of Day of the Dead or El Dia de los Muertos celebration in Mexico.

This is not a day of burial, but one of commemoration and feasting at the graves of dead relatives and friends. If this seems bizarre to you, think how lonely visits to graves must seem to those who honor El Dia de los Muertos.


Your Challenge:  In a new poem, bring us to a traditional way of commemorating the dead.

Los Adornos.JPG
source

Poetry Celebrations.com!

From The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations
Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong, Editors. (Pomelo Books, 2015)





 Seamus Heaney reads 'Funeral Rites.'     York Festival of Ideas, 26/06/2013









By Geoffrey Grigson

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Please share your new poem using Mr. Linky below and visit others
in the spirit of the community.  

Don't forget to put a link to this prompt with your poem.



(Next week Sumana's Midweek Motif will be ~ Path)









10 comments:

  1. Hello everyone,

    Wooo hooo❤️ Its time for Midweek Motif! I wrote mine yesterday keeping in mind two prompts.. it was just too brilliant an idea to give up (if you know what I mean) sharing my poem "Between Life & Death" thank you Susan for the continued inspiration ❤️


    Lots of love,
    Sanaa

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for the prompt, Susan. Death is our ineluctable ending as living beings and to be afraid of death is to be afraid of life itself.
    As well as the link above, last June I wrote a poem on the occasion of the death of a dear friend. The link is below:
    http://nicholasjv.blogspot.com.au/2016/06/on-death.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for the prompt, Susan. I wrote the poem on the train while reminiscing my childhood haha

    ReplyDelete
  4. I feared where this prompt would take us, but your poems are so powerful I've already had tears and laughter and awe, and the day is young. I guess the message is not to fear lifting the layers to go deep inside. And now--I'm going back to bed! See you later.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for another motif - we are home but not quite ourselves just yet..good to be with you all again though

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh I like this prompt, Susan, and love thinking about the traditions of other cultures around honouring their departed. I am glad you included the Dakota sacred burial sites in the feature, a topic much on our minds right now. I hope you feel better soon. Do take care.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm late to the party but glad I made it. Good prompt Susan. Brought back memories.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I posted early, entered at #10, however only now coming in to say Hi and have a good Wednesday. Also my apologies to those of you who have read my post for today already, for i have, after rereading make a few edits to correct spelling, including Line 2 of the first verse of the poem which i had earlier omitted, and putting a few capitals to words i had started with lower case.
    So that done.

    much love...

    ReplyDelete
  9. So glad to participate after a long time...thanks for the prompt Susan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am relieved that you are back! I've missed you and felt alone without you! I hope to hear more about your experience while away.

      Delete

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