Return: El Día de los Muertos
They return as
moths. Impervious
to the artificial
landscape between
the hills. Ancestors
soft-winged, snug
against the round
bellied sky, led by
a heavy moon.
Stars, reflected
blades of grass
crowned by dew.
Maybe it’s been years
but history flows
here and is free.
Centuries later,
I’m living proof
relic of blood and bile
where east goes south
European bones
encased in native tissue
just like moss grown
on a tree, in harmony.
Pale ghosts flutter
against the screen
seeing the peace
bred in me
black, brown and white
housed in one place
haunted by the past
a lineage of rope, fire and water.
©2021 TAK Erzinger All rights reserved.
TAK Erzinger is an American/Swiss poet and artist with a Colombian background.
Her poetry has been featured in Bien Acompañada from Cornell University, The Muse from McMaster University, The Rising Phoenix Review and more. Her debut poetry collection entitled, “Found: Between the Trees” was published by Grey Border Books, Canada 2019. Most recently, she was selected as one of the four finalists under the category of poetry for The Eyelands Book Awards. She lives in a Swiss valley with her husband and cats.