The Thin Veil

Duende generally refers to a spirit folklore and literally means “ghost” or “goblin” and believed to derive from the phrase dueño de casa, which means “owner of a house” in Spanish.

Today’ prompt is to write a poem that imagines what the ghosts of our ancestors discuss among themselves and what they spend their time doing on the other side. Situate them in a house — one they lived in or one they moved into, maybe even your house. Consider the following questions as you write:

• Do they have parties?
• Do they Quarrel?
• Are they happy, depressed, anxious?
• Do they concern themselves with the quotidian?
• The banal? Or only the sensational?
• What are their opinions on their living relatives? The condition of the world?
• What would they like to change?
• If they could be reincarnated, would they? What would they come back as? Why?

Poems for Inspiration:

“Where the Dead Go” by Denise Low, Zingara Poetry Review

“Do the Dead See?” by John Brugaletta, Zingara Poetry Review

“Alternate Life Number Two” by Jeanne DeLarm-Neri, Zingara Poetry Review