The Colors of the Lanterns

When I was very young  

before I could grasp the meaning 

of life and death 

I was taught to connect colors 

to laughter and to tears

When an important event 

stirred our extended family 

we gathered as one clan 

in the ancestry hall of our grandparents’ 

the color of lanterns hanging at the entrance

told us of the mood of the occasion

When it was red, laughter filled the air

joy and passion shone on our faces

though I might not know the celebration  

it could be a birth, a wedding 

or another happy occasion            

But when the lantern was white 

Mother hushed us into silence 

sobbing was drifted through the hall

and mournful mood enwrapped us all

I remembered how we gathered around 

a sea of white chrysanthemums 

only later did I learn

that lying beneath that bower of flowers

a beloved family member 

had gone into eternal sleep

By Shih-Fang Wang

From: United States