All Hallows Eve, the day before
the day of the dead, All Saints Day.
Spirits abound, not necessarily Yoda,
Charlie Sheen, or even zombies.
The old hymn celebrates them —
“For all the saints who from their labors rest,
who thee by faith before the world confessed.”
Not only St. Augustine, Martin Luther,
John Wesley, Calvin, Joan of Arc but
Jim Wilson, Bob Smith, Sister Ignatia,
Ebby, Dr. Silkwood, the first one hundred,
Jim Willis for gamblers, Roxanne
for overeaters, and countless others
with foresight and vision – and hopelessness,
addiction, lack of power, at the end of their rope.
We’re grateful for the spirits who led us all
to rooms of recovery, and honored to be
the old folks who prepare the way for those to come,
saving ourselves in the process.