Old Stones – In remembrance of Don Simmons

Tilted, askew, weathered, and moss-covered,
With chiseled names worn and hard to read.
These stones mark graves of folks from long ago;
Not from the last century, but the one before.

But like us they lived, loved, and were loved;
And in death were buried with sadness and mourning,
With these gravestones—once straight, erect, and proud—
Marking their place and affirming affection and remembrance.

But those who would remember,
Are now themselves merely memories.
And yesterday’s “Always Remembered”,
Are today’s long forgotten.

— Don Simmons

Leathley Church Gravestones

Black And White Photography, James, Photography

Standing like sentinels these old gravestones are at Leathley Church in North Yorkshire

Poor Cecile

Black And White Photography, Don, Photography

She was given a nice headstone complete with a bas-relief image that hints that Cecile was probably a young girl rather than a woman. But you are not going to learn anything else about Cecile from this stone. She has a headstone. But who was she? Did she have a last name? If she was a young girl, how old was she? When did she die? Who knows? She is but an enigma and has been for many years. Poor Cecile indeed.

I like to wander through cemeteries and look at old gravestones. I have seen stones of all types. Simple ones. Fancy ones. Crude, handmade ones with mis-spellings. But I have never seen another headstone as terse and with less information than Cecile’s.