CHURCH CEMETARY
Many gravestones
sunken into the ground. Names barely legible. Dutch and English names. Family members buried near each other. New York settlers seeking religious freedom,
land, adventure, fortune.
One large headstone
for three children: William, one day old; Margaret, seven months; Jonathan, three months, each one born a little
more than a year after the death of the previous child.
Did the parents try again and their fourth child live? Surely, this couple had a dream, a plan, along with courage and fear, when they came to this raw, new land. Did they ever find what they were seeking? There are no other markers with the same family name.
Did the parents try again and their fourth child live? Surely, this couple had a dream, a plan, along with courage and fear, when they came to this raw, new land. Did they ever find what they were seeking? There are no other markers with the same family name.
chilling wind –
children on the
playground chase
a run-away kite
2 comments:
The B&W photo harmonizes prose & haiku beautifully, Adelaide. Old gravestones, particularly unkempt ones, make me feel quite melancholy...
Thanks for your comments, Frank. Yes, old graveyards are places of melancholy and the imagination.
Adelaide
Post a Comment