How do you say goodbye to remains
Of what was once real; once tangible?
An entire person now contained in a tiny earthen pot
His bones, his flesh, his hair, his physicality
His large forehead, his crooked nose, his wrinkles
His disquieting mortality.
Ritualistic ablutions of holy water and milk
Offerings of flowers and incense to the heavens
Make for a solemn ceremony
But they can’t perform any miracles
Can’t transform these charred fragments
Into a living person again
Should you focus instead on the well-being of his soul?
That permanent essence of him
So you pray that the actions of his life help him move forward in his spiritual journey
You pray that he unites with the Lord
You pray that he finds everlasting peace
You pray because it is the only thing you can do
But you are not easily soothed by the abstract; by these intangible ideas.
You’re attached to his human form
And you still feel unsettled by his disappearance
Does that make you spiritually ‘un-evolved’? Or just unashamedly human?
