Giving Thanks: A Eulogy for Lola (Grandma)

Mid-autumn I rise to the sound of wind in the maples. From what I believe to be my secure shelter, I look out the window to see that the leaves have changed. From flames of deep orange to faded marigold, sunlit foliage fills my room with a glow that protects me from the cold open sky.

But even in glory, our old companions fall.  Some beauty returns to the earth that has provided us with every need, like a selfless mother.  And as we endure the daily hustle and bustle, perpetually acting, making plans, making mistakes, and making amends; we occasionally, sometimes unexpectedly, bear witness to this cycle of change--the vibrance of a luminous sunset to the subtlety of dusk to dark. The tree becomes barren, exposed for us to see, yet restful and at peace with the dramas of the world. And even though our tree has lost a part of itself, in time and with patience, the leaves of the past nourish its roots and make space for new eager buds, preparing for splendor.

We are the tree that remains, so let us be watchful over this beautiful family and the bounty of life that sustains us.  As the winter comes quietly upon us, we can pray or we can meditate. We can regretfully think on all the things we did or did not say or do.  But the best thing we can do in the absence of Lola is to contribute to life on her behalf.  When we devote ourselves to selfless kindness, forgiveness, and compassion, her spirit lives freely among us.

ELEVEN ELEVEN ELEVEN—

XI XI XI—
111111—

When I was eleven,
my friends and I
would knot different colors
of embroidery thread
and make friendship or truce
bracelets that would
sometimes comprise

arrows – >>>
Eventually I learned
to reverse
the arrows – (<<<) We would alternate rows making more complex designs like >>X<<
We became obsessed
with Xs
making several in
a row – XXX
when placing 3 in a row,
it was
2 fish
k-i-s-s-i-n-g.

Sometimes
the fundamental slant – /
was enough
and after several
rows
of
these – ///
we began to tell a story
as yarn to scarf / as munitions belt
bullet to bullet
– shells

This repeated pattern is
elevens
over and over
again
Parallels
//
At the eleventh hour
on the eleventh day
of the eleventh month*

This day, originally, was called
Armistice day
referring to the aforementioned
eleventh hour
to remember the day Germany
had agreed to hush
WWI
for a time
to allow peace
to settle after
WWII
to observe peace
on that day was backward
exclusive of those who fought in
WWII
or Korea
or Vietnam
Therefore, the holiday
became a day
to remember
20,000,000

who died throughout
the course of these wars,
calling it
Veteran’s day


it then became a tradition
to observe
2 minutes
of
silence –


to remember
20 million –
dead
but in 1939,
this
“2-minute moment”
was bumped
to the nearest Sunday
to the eleventh
in order to avoid
interference with war
time production,
however,
some still
observe silence
on the 11th day
at the 11th hour.

some do not
have a choice,
but to remain
silent.













*(and eventually we’ll pass
the two thousand and
eleventh year,
approx. 39 days and 1 year
until the end of the world –
i.e. 11/11/11
i.e. 404 days
from
12.20.2012—
According to Mayan prophecy
11-11-11
is the holiday
in which we observe the end
of
WW IV)


Lia Ha//