Sunday, November 6, 2011

Mag 90





Ages of people have cultured a fear of graveyards
For me there has always been a fascination, a wonderment
A desire to know more about those who lie resting among the stones
Where did they come from?
Were they loved?
How did they die?
Were they mourned?

As a child I visited the cemetery with parents who dutifully remembered their loved ones
As an adult I wander through, alone, seeking answers to the questions of loss
Why did an infant die?
How did one live to be so old in a time when souls were called home early?
Did she choose to die alone?

The inscriptions on the stones, some elaborate, some idyllic, a few even humorous
Draw my interest daring me to seek more

And so I wander the cemeteries, sitting, listening, imploring the souls to tell me
The stories of their demise
And as I listen, the stories come
And as I hear them peace descends

There is no fear in these 

13 comments:

  1. Lovely.
    I have always had the desire to know the stories of the dead....and what draws me to a particular grave.........

    Keep writing......
    :)

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  2. Me, too...I could have written this...beautiful...

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  3. I can so identify. As I have written elsewhere my father and I had a fascination of church grave yards which my mother could never understand and called 'morbid curiousity'! We would look for the oldest graves in ancient English villages. Family history in those villages is interesting and in most, the village Squire who normally lives in The Manor is able to trace generations of ancestors.

    I thoroughly enjoyed your write on the Mag. Thank you.

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  4. Like you, I find myself asking so many questions, when faced with an ageing headstone.

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  5. I also do not find much to fear in cemeteries.

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  6. What a wonderful reminiscence. I have much the same reaction to cemeteries as you. Lovely blog too - this is my first visit.

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  7. mysteries we may have answered one day -- but then again, probably not ...lovely piece

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  8. Thanks to all of you who have commented. I do enjoy Tess' challenges. I hope you all stop back by. Now, off to read more of your offerings.

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  9. growing up by a cemetary they have always fascinated me as well...their stories...yes i would make some up based on them...and hope some of them true...the young mothers especially...

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  10. Your lovely poem reminds me of my grandsons William and Freddy, who love to look for their own names on gravestones in old churchyards(William and Frederick being old-fashioned names). They always find plenty!

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  11. Peace descends. Have you ever visited Bonaventure in Savannah Ga? I highly recommend it! I have photos of it on my sidebar under places visited.

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