Día de los Muertos is a day for people to come together and remember their loved ones who have passed. They may set up ofrendas, or altars, with photos, flowers and food.
Poet and Milwaukee native Karl Michael Iglesias explores how Latinos manage their grief during this season through his poem, “The Altar.” It’s part of his forthcoming collection of poems called, “The Bounce,” which will be released in November 2024 and includes poems about growing up in Wisconsin, as well as grief and survival.
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Karl Michael Iglesias gave “Wisconsin Life” a peek behind the scenes of his creative process and what went in to writing “The Altar”:
The inspiration for “The Altar” came from a conversation with a loved one when they asked, “Why is everyone dying?”
Poetry has always been my way of tapping into the questions that don’t have easy answers. So at that moment, I had no idea what to say. But writing the poem gave me a second chance to try and answer. It helped me understand that we all need a process for this kind of grief. Many of our ancestors have already provided us with traditions and rituals that guide us forward, while helping us also remember the people we were lucky to have in our lives. The poem allows me to offer flowers, light a candle, and share love in those same traditions.
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I think the relationship between art and grieving is deeply rooted.
Artists are often called to journey into the impossible, into the unknown. And I believe death, transition and the afterlife are all things we create toward, truly, in an effort to understand.
Altars in themselves are gorgeous visual pieces of art in their own right. Many creators, including myself, are navigating their own grieving process, but we’re also offering something larger. We turn to songs, films, poems that remind us grieving is ongoing and with its power to bring people together, challenges us to heal collectively.