light up the night

the people on my street
were asked to put out
a luminaria this evening
we were given a paper
bag and asked to stick
a candle in sand or rock
salt and light it for our
neighbor the one who is
at the end of her battle
with cancer that I didn’t
know was happening and
I’m not totally sure what
at the end of her battle
truly means is it a code
I’m not sure that I would
know where to find sand
but I had some epsom
salts and a small glass
jar and a candle stub so
I lit the candle and set the
bag in the snow where it
glowed and celebrated
her existence in our world
and life is suddenly even
more precious than before

Cinse Bonino
2022