“From where I stood, I saw the spirit their bodies had conjured: that was the moment I wanted.”

We were in a crowded church. I couldn’t see much until I let the crying, stomping, and chanting guide me. As the believers rocked side to side, their skirts and robes blended with the powerful sounds filling the room. I followed the path leading to the circle around the casket and stopped at its edge, so as not to disrupt the formation. From where I stood, I saw the spirit their bodies had conjured: that was the moment I wanted.