Edges - 11/28/19

What is a holiday?
A holy day becomes holy
Because we make it so
What can I do today to make sure

I don't forget to hold holiness close
Making space for those without
Family, comfort or even a sense
Of their own history; those in yearning

Those in darkness, confusion and mourning
Those in hospital beds, war zones, anxiety, worry
You have my love and inclusion
Given freely within the framework of

Self-care and a new kind of boundary
I am only just learning to build so that
I can be of service to those who need me
More healthily, more gratefully

I realize not everyone has family
With whom they are able or would choose
To spend a long or even a short meal
Let alone loving hugs, stories and latest news

I realize the history of horrors unspeakable
This day conjures for those whose holiest
Losses of life, culture and hope were burned
As wildfires in the name of all fear fosters

I recognize that my opportunity to share
To celebrate to congregate may be for some
A reminder of what is painfully missing
So I gather my love like sand around bare feet

Hoping that after
These hours of reflection
I will be just a little more tuned in
To where life and death's edges meet