The ghosts of innocence

 

The dead are with us

Hovering through our spaces 

Or dangling from clouds

Waiting to creep into our minds

Where they can invade our souls

Spirits have potential purpose

Power to infuse their essence into ours

Transforming us by blessing us

Or haunting us in darkness

They can exist in throngs like angels

Or thrive eternally in demonic fire

Perhaps this is fable

But I know the living mingle

Choices for good and evil 

Here on earth

Haunted by the ghastly ghosts 

Of our collective innocence ‘

I am submitting to Earthweal where Sara asks to write about Samhein.

She writes: “ Of all the cross-quarter festivals, Samhain is the only one that seems to have retained a hold on the popular imagination. The ancient festival was co-opted by the Church into All Hallows’ Eve, and then transformed and transmuted into the festival of pumpkins and witches and monsters we know today. It’s more enthusiastically celebrated than Easter, I think, and is second only to Christmas as a popular festival.”