Dia De Los Muertos

The one time of the year
When the veil 'tween our world
And theirs is just thin enough
To be pierced by the ones
We love and are loved by.

Guided back by the scents
Of marigold and favorite foods
And the flavor of favorite drinks;
Enjoyed again at homemade altars
And at their places of eternal rest.

Allowed by God,
Just for a day or two,
To return only briefly
To the world of the living.
Just for a day or two.

Then they return to the afterlife
And to loving memory
For another year until
The veil 'tween our worlds
Is just thin enough again.