Wednesday, October 31, 2012

#WWUC @NWCreativeUnion ~ Happy Halloween


Happy Halloween!
Today let us wake the dead. Hallows or Samhain is a Celtic holy day on which people used to remember and celebrate the blessed dead and long gone ancestors. Today, many of us who follow the path of the Ancient Celts or a general Pagan path still celebrate this way.
In fact tonight I will cast a circle and sit with a picture of my father who made his transition to the other side back in 1984. I will remember him and write him a letter as I have done every year for the past 14 years.
This week’s prompt is to remember your ancestors, those recently gone or ancient. Remember them in song, in poetry, in story, in painting, in sculpting…the point is to remember them, to wake them in your own being. And once you’ve created please share it with us in Mr. Linky below. I’d love to learn more about your ancestors!
By Charles Elliott/Beautyseer
This picture is of the Ancestor Altar at Temple of the Goddess’s Hallows Celebration this past Saturday.
The following spoken word piece was performed at the Hallows Celebration:

The Dead are Never Gone
By the twentieth century Senegalese poet and storyteller Birago Diop

Hearing things more than beings,
listening to the voice of fire,
the voice of water.
Hearing in wind the weeping bushes,
sighs of our forefathers.

The dead are never gone:
they are in the shadows.
The dead are not in earth:
they’re in the rustling tree,
the groaning wood,
water that runs,
water that sleeps;
they’re in the hut, in the crowd,
the dead are not dead.

The dead are never gone,
they’re in the breast of a woman,
they’re in the crying of a child,
in the flaming torch.

The dead are not in the earth:
they’re in the dying fire,
the weeping grasses,
whimpering rocks,
they’re in the forest, they’re in the house,
the dead are not dead.

Now...here's how to play along:

  1. Post your response to the prompt above to your blog. The medium is of your choosing. Words, color, image...how ever the prompt strikes you.
  2. Copy the address of your post and click Mr. Linky below.
  3. Paste your post address, enter your name where indicated, click submit...and your in!
  4. Revisit Mr.Linky to explore the responses of others who have found themselves inspired, commenting and sharing.
  5. Our goal is community. Sharing the good work of others. Let others know you appreciate their work, just as you hope they let you know they appreciate yours. 
  6. You have until 9am Sunday Morning to link your response.

13 comments:

  1. There are people that I have never let go of. I will be back soon with a post. Fabulous prompt!

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  2. this one's close to home. perhaps too close,. but was amazed at the parallels when I read beth's. great prompt :)

    Monty

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    1. I noticed the parallels between your's and Beth's poems. Love it! Thank you for sharing your well woven words!

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  3. I'm so looking forward to checking out what you all come up with!

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  4. Thanks for the prompt Joanne. I was missing my dad today so the timing on this challenge was perfect.

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    1. Beautiful! Your poem really touched me Susie. I miss my father so much, too.

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  5. Thank you for the inspirational prompt. I even had to create a new blog to find a place for my post, what fun!

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    1. The pieces are great and what they mean together... Wonderful! And that's so cool that you were inspired to create a new blog. :-)

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  6. Trying to go beyond words for this one...see how you all inspire me ;) Happy Halloween...I'll be back!

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  7. Great prompt Joanne. Really a nice twist to the typical Halloween prompts. Had fun with my own, and even more reading the others. Thanks

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    1. Thank you Fred! I really enjoyed your offering and I'm glad you enjoyed the others' works.

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