El Día de los Muertos

El Día de los Muertos isn’t Halloween per se.
In most locales, festivities must wait another day.
They also last at least two days, and some folks spend a week.
Despite the many signs of death, you’re not supposed to shriek.
Instead, you pay respects to friends and relatives who died
And share in reminiscences that tend t’ward joy and pride.
At altars called ofrendas, you may leave some drinks and food
The honored dead enjoyed in life, a gift of gratitude.
It isn’t always solemn; rhyming poems get absurd,
In mockery of epitaphs, describing what occurred.
Expect a lot of marigolds and skeletal motifs,
The former in connection with indigenous beliefs.
Enjoy the pan de muerto, which is soft and sweetened bread
With extra dough in bony shapes to represent the dead.
Quite recently, parades became a modern acquisition.
I like what I have learned about these Mexican traditions.