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Carlos A. DeJuana

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Day of the Dead

They walk among us,
snickering at our costumes
but secretly wishing
they could dress in our flesh.
While we lay marigolds
at their graves,
they sneak into our homes
through drafty windows
to catch up on Games of Thrones,
fast forwarding through commercials
so they can get back
before St. Peter locks the door.
Before they leave,
they rummage
through family albums
and flip through the photos on our phones
while we sleep,
desperately trying to remember
who they once were.

Carlos A. DeJuana spent nine years working as a journalist across Latin America before settling in Washington, DC, where he now works for the federal government.  His poetry has appeared in riverSedge, a literary journal published by the University of Texas-Pan American, and most recently in the online journal Synesthesia. He is married and has two daughters.  When he is not working, taking care of his girls, or writing, he greatly enjoys naps.

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