By Rosario Brenda Gonzalez
Looking for a house to shelter another soul
And ending up in a room with no window
Walking aimlessly until
Reaching your house
With you and your sibling
Not remembering the circumstances
It was just the smoothest transition seen
Of daily encounters
And a life you embraced
Of simple joys and endless laughter
At just about anything that would pique our curiosity
Organizing was what you did best at that time
As you showed patience and commitment
Daring and grace, but most especially humility
With nary a care for your well-being
Only for others that you vowed to help,
Accompany and serve to the best of what you can give
And there was a lot, overflowing as the water in that river
Where you almost lost your life
Forgotten in the hustle and bustle
Maybe is that you most desire at one point
But never expressed as you braved the solitary life
To simplify things or what
We will never know
You kept that part hidden from view
Another detail, another day
For those that we most love and cherish
Not another ideal
But the reality, often the brutality
Of an oppressive system
You wanted to fight and did so
With people you most revered
Until death beckoned
With a lesson learned
Death is also immortal
And you live forever.
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Lui Tumlos was an activist, human rights defender, indigenous peoples’ rights advocate, public servant, and a development worker. She was a long-time Kodao Productions staff. It was her second death anniversary last July 14.
