Farewell Bonfire

　　My father passed away in January this year. In Buddhist teaching, his spirit is said to come back to his original place and stay there for several days during a certain term called "Obon". On the first day of the "Obon", the bereaved are supposed to light a fire called "Mukae-bi", a welcome bonfire, for the bonfire to work as the beacon for the returning spirit from the next world. I lit the Mukae-bi several days before and I lit "Okuri-bi", the farewell bonfire today.
　　I'm full of a sense of loss and recalled lots of memories with him, seeing the Buddhist materials burn. After a while, I put it out, hoping that his spirit would come back next year.