Enciende las Velas

Christiane Williams-Vigil shares her heartfelt poetry and her ofrenda for Día de los Muertos to honor her loved ones.

Image by Christiane Williams-Vigil

Enciende Las Velas

To unravel fate's design and wind back the hands of time,

I’d burn up all the illnesses and offer it up as sacrifice.

But I am just a mortal.

Here I cry, wading through crumpled dead yellow flowers.

Shifting through the days, looking in mirrors for signs of them.

I know this isn’t what mourning should look like.

It’s not how they’d want me to carry on.

I light a white candle and hope they can see it

From where they dwell.

And I hover over the flickering light,

Wishing to see movement in photos.

When they were taken, all reason left.

Still the earth turns as I suffer here at this altar.

Alone I weep.

A year later,

I stand here lighting candles.

Without people and faith.

I sing and beg you to find me in my dreams.

Reanimate in my subconscious and

Put back fresh air into my lungs.

Reach out from the darkness that stole you

And put back warmth into my soul.

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Christiane Williams-Vigil's poetry has been published in 'Life in the Time' by BorderSenses Publishing and by Marshall University. She is from El Paso, Texas where she draws inspiration from the border community.