The Ghosts We Carry
/Although I am a lover of solitude,
all the ghosts that I carry with me
are now raising a clamor and my head
is filled with their voices yammering
in a language I can’t understand.
If I could see their formless faces,
I might be able to tell whether
they sing of love or sorrow,
of courage or fear.
I only know the feeling
is of a river sometimes rushing
in white-tipped rapids
crashing around rocks
and other times drifting
so gently I am held aloft
in their embrace.
Maybe it is the same for you
because the ghosts now hold
the whole untouchable world
in invisible hands.
You and I can see each other
across the digital waves.
We get to peek into the private world
we occupy while that space between
is a perfect dance floor
for our sheltered ghosts.
This is what they
have waited for all along—
for us to open a space between
our private and public worlds
where they can dance
their fear and courage,
their sorrow and love
into the sky and the sea
and the ground and,
through their blessing,
make the world whole again...
© Nick LeForce
All Rights Reserved
As the virus wreaks havoc on our lives and our routines, it is easy to fall prey to worry and fear and the chattering voices they use to command our attention, especially when alone in our homes. Now, we connect with each other through zoom and webcams and, in a strange way, due to our home shelter, we get to invite people into the privacy of our homes as we peek into the private space of others. Perhaps that sea of airwaves between us provides a space where a great healing can occur. All the ghosts that we keep hidden can enter that space. Perhaps my love will dance with your fear; and your courage will dance with my sorrow because our ghosts have been looking for a partner, outside of ourselves, to dance themselves out and give their blessings to each other and to the world. That space in the airwaves, between our private and public worlds, is the perfect dance floor where my sorrow can dance with your courage and your fear can dance with my love!
