Gather all your memories
inside your circled arms
and clasped hands.
Be still and breathe deeply.
Gaze down and place
them all in order.
Let times of joy
and exhilaration
rise to the top.
Make room
for days of grief
and make a special place
for when you reached out
and helped another.
Let darker memories
sink to the bottom,
hidden in haze.
An expiation,
each soul owes to itself.
Art credit: "Eternal Hug," oil on canvas, by Jiawei Shen. This painting portrays Australian art curator Ace Bourke and his lion friend Christian. Bourke and Christian last saw each other in the African wild in 1972, but this painting dates from 2013 and represents Bourke as he appeared at that time. Learn more about the story of these friends here.
