DEPARTURE

(photo:  mine, Tzintzuntzan, near Patzquaro, Michuacan)

DEPARTURE

Sorrow

born of loss

Loss

the truth

of everything

Knowing this -

freedom.

Death arrives

and discovers

there’s nothing

to steal

You depart

on a breath.

RW

Guanajuato, GTO

11.06.2009

With some thanks to Kris Kristofferson:  Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.

There is something about Mexico that focuses me on the sadness of living, but I don't consider sadness to be a negative emotion.  Emotions are not susceptible to value judgments, they're here and then they're not.  I appreciated the I Ching whenever the commentary "No Blame," came up.

It seems that no matter where I am in this country, in the city, a village, or the country, the ground is so much nearer my feet.  Even under layers of cement, or cobblestone, the country’s body calls out, and with that the progress of life toward death. 

You can hardly turn a corner without reminders.  There are skulls everywhere, sugar skulls, pictures of skulls, posters, designs on t-shirts, people dressed as skeletons.  Dia de los Muertos explodes, but the fragments don’t go away when the holiday is over.

Death is every day. 

Years ago, in Chicago, I read Carlos Castenada’s works about Don Juan, the Mexican sorcerer.  I took a few lessons from those books, and one especially – death is always at your shoulder, so is sadness.