Took a walk this morning
~ before it got too hot.
found myself at our little graveyard
that holds the plots
of the former inhabitants of our farmhouse and land...
under the canopy of an ancient holly tree they rest
~ peaceful and serene ~
if you have visited our home or farm shop, then you have passed right by them.
they are located just off our long dirt road that leads to & from our old homeplace...
in fact,
you can stand by the graves
and look through the trees
and see the farm shop in view
~ across'd the big field.
there aren't many headstones, just a few.
and two metal markers which show a more contemporary style of burial.
I prefer stone.
this time of year
the yucca are blooming.
~ folklore here says that these 'ghost lilies' are always near a grave
...hence their nickname.
there are more buried here than we know, though...
some are in unmarked graves,
others in graves with head and footstones
but without names or dates etched upon them ~
seemingly lost in time and to memory.
and one in particular bears a beautiful dove.
that one belongs to Judith ~
"the sunshine of our home"
as it tells on her stone.
I have taken her advice
and am punching a project in memorium of this woman I never knew
~ but who shares our land and home with us still.
life exists even where death is very present.
green and growing from the ground up.
a cycle that never ends it seems ~
I love our little graveyard.
& I say hello and goodbye to these neighbors
... each time I come & go
from this old farm.
here is our Asiatic lily in bloom ~
another flower which represents life eternal ~
this one is near our front door garden.
I love headstones, graveyards and such.
walking among them, reading them,....feeling the coldness of the stones.
If these were the Victorian times,
we would all be immersed in thoughts of death
and practicing strange customs
in which we would honor our departed loved-ones.
we would be making wreaths and wearing jewelry fashioned from the locks of their hair...
or wearing black clothing for a full year.
and having our photographs taken
with us facing away from the camera or holding a handkerchief to cover our eyes.
We might even choose to commemorate the dead by having their photo taken as well.
...and you think we live in strange times?
Blessings from the Farm
~
Lori
