i couldn't even remember why i ended up in this massive temple... and it was dusk... i didn't recall any familiar family members being there... but i was with a group of people - perhaps uncle K...
what really struck me was the sight of death and smell of death as i caught sight of the procession - 4 taoist in full gear, all in black robs and hat, the two long bamboo rods heavily weighted on each of their shoulders, suspending the rectangular coffin...
the coffin was made of wood, lacquared - mostly black with intricate and minute gold / orange floral patterns on each panal... it was huge and angular, there were no arounded corners, it felt like a fed ex wooden cargo with a crafty exterior...
the box looked light... but the weight of death was heavy... it was like fog... grey, heavy fog... dragging down the space around it...
i was scared of being in close proximity to the space... i was scared of the smell of death... the smell of decay...
it was a funeral for another family we didn't know... as passer-bys, it was customary to offer incense to show our respect... we purchased some at the counter (curiously there were two separate counters, two different operators within the temple)...
we needed a light... and the last thing i remember was seeing the man several feet in front of me, lighting his incense by tearing them in halves... the friction of the breakage set the incense alight...
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