Regard the Ashes

Mark the moment for celebration
When you know in your heart
That these are not the wasted powders
Of meaningless death
But the seeds of new life

These ashes have fallen
Upon the alter of hope
These dark leaves yet
Hold the light of eternity

This sacred dust of transition
Is the repository of wisdom
Weightless stones of living spirits

These are the ghosts of Holy Choirs
Singing hymns of joyful forgiveness
These are the jewels of human legends
Blessed with the wealth of understanding

These are the shrines of contemplation
These are the prayers we are to learn

Honor these, each flake of energy
Flesh and bone and what they created
With the force of life

Fired on the hearth of destinys fury
Now laid here to teach us love

Touch this ash upon your finger
Taste it upon your tongue
Feel the silken richness of reality
And ponder the power of its stain
Upon your heart

Close your eyes and see yourself
In the face of everyone you meet
Find the courage to feel compassion
For one day each of us
Will blend together in the ash

Better that we know that
And enjoy each other
And each moment
Now