“Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return.”

We begin with the end –
how our bodies will be
when we let go
of our last breath
when the blood in us slows,
stops, and our hearts
drum no more inside.

Ashes as warning
signs on our foreheads
soon washed away
leading us darkly
as, with solemn steps,
we cross winter’s desert
for the oasis of spring.

Portland, Oregon – February 26, 2020.  Ash Wednesday