I keep planning to be a regular for Poetry Friday, but a quick check shows my last appearance was in September. However, there's no time like a new month to initiate change. I'm sharing "Parents," a favorite Ted Kooser poem. I love these words from Rita Dove's introduction to the poem: "Perhaps the best way to keep the spirits of loved ones alive is to allow them to continue living within us."
And yesterday, I opened up Writer's Almanac to discover a new-to-me Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem, "Haunted Houses." These lines are particularly poignant:
"So from the world of spirits there descends
A bridge of light, connecting it with this,"
The Day of the Dead is a wonderful time to celebrate the spirits that surround us!
Yes, the third time worked! Glad to see you back, Ramona! I love Ted Kooser's poems, seem to fit my life very well. And this, "“You don’t need to go!” I call out
ReplyDeletethrough the echoing rooms" - a poignant wish I imagine all of us wish now and then. Thanks!
Ramona, when in San Antonio I ate at an Old Town Mexican restaurant that was decorated with the Day of the Dead theme. Since All Souls' Day tomorrow, I am keenly aware of family members and close friends who has passed on. I like the Rita Love's thoughts to allow these people to continue living within us. I am imagining the lit bridge that will connect me to them. Thanks for these poems and the quotes that will keep my mind on family.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your comments, I thought of the movie Coco, another fun connection to The Day of the Dead.
DeleteMarvelous poem! I love that glimpse: "seen for only an instant/what might be the hem of her skirt as it swept/through a door." They are a warm, benevolent presence, even as they hover out of sight.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed Ted Kooser's poem, but the link to Haunted Houses didn't work.
ReplyDeleteWhen my mother was dying, I asked her how to survive without her. She told me I would carry her in my heart, just like she does with her mother. It's a different way to grasp how our parents' ghosts stay with us.
Thanks for letting me know. I think I fixed it the link.
DeleteThat is a lovely poem from Ted Kooser. It is such comfort.
ReplyDeleteLove the Ted Kooser poem–I like keeping "their lingering presence" with us too, thanks Ramona!
ReplyDelete