Carlos A. DeJuana

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.