Marigold Lanterns for the Ancestors

We light the marigold path at dusk

Gold on the stones where the shadows rest

Candles bloom in the window glass

And the night leans close to glass

Come back home through the candle flame

Follow the scent of the earthen rain

We leave the door open, speak your name

And make a warm place in your memory again

Beneath the ofrenda, the photos glow

Besides sweet bread and the careful flowers

We tell the stories only you know

Until grief turns soft in the midnight hours

Come back home through the candle flame

Follow the scent of the earth and rain

We'll leave the door open, speak your name

And make a warm place in your memory again

Your laughter lives in the clay and wood

In the marimba's pulse and the guitar's embrace

We are held by all the love we could

And by the songs time cannot erase

Come back home through the candle flame

Follow the scent of the earth

And rain

We leave the door open, speak your name

And make a warm place in your memory again

Yes, we make a warm place

In your memory again