In this poem the process of grieving and preparing for burial is both humorous and deeply relational. The speaker and her friend, the widow, share a night of waiting before the funeral and the depth of loss is counterbalanced ("your tears made a pale butterfly, the color of dawn") by the deep sense of connection with the whole universe and an acceptance of the inevitability of death for us all. Harjo's imagery of butterflies at dawn carries with it a sense of joy and triumph over darkness and raises questions about the nature of grief and of the role of spirituality in the grieving process.