A Serene Day
Winter is approaching
The leaves say goodbye
One by one they fall only to be greeted by the ground
The breeze is welcomed kissing my cheek
Even with my big puffy jacket I am chilly
My hair is a mess
And my boots are dirty
But I don’t care at the moment
The sound of the waterfall keeps me at peace
I dip my hand into the chilling water
I take in the sight of the beauty that is nature surrounding me
Nature is delicate like a flower
Proper care will keep it blooming
I stand under the tall pine tree
Humming a melodic tune
The birds join in with their own unique sounds
Mother nature is pleased
I am content
Celebrating Death
¡Celebremos! Es Día de Los Muertos It is a day to remember family and friends who have died A celebration of life and death It’s the beginning of November, our loved ones await us
The altar is beautiful
There we have abuelito, abuelita, tía Bibiana and primo
Cesar The bright orange cempasuchil adorn the shrine
Pan de muerto is placed there along with all their favorite foods
Our family is all together We gather around to say a prayer We share our favorite memories of those who are no longer with us Laughter and nostalgia fill the room We miss them dearly, but we know they are in a better place Although they are physically gone from this world, we will keep them in our hearts forever
Claudia Cervantes is a senior at CSUSM. She loves to read and write contemporary fiction. When she’s not doing school work or hanging out with friends, you can probably find her baking and binge-watching TV shows.