Where The Bodies Are Buried

A poem about life

A warming, eastern yellow glow
Illuminates the snowy landscape
Of a nondescript town

Shadows of headstones
Lay across the gleaming layer of white
Covering the necromantic stretch of Earth

The names engraved upon the stones
Are clearly visible now
For most of the lot

Alas, the names all collide with one another
Doing so in a way that makes them appear
To be nothing more than mere statistics

Looking down upon the graves
I cannot help but wonder
About all those who rest below

Wondering how they lived their lives
How they spent their days
Where they spent their nights

Wondering who they’ve loved and hated
Who they’ve met and forgotten
Who they’ve idolized and inspired

Wondering what they did for pay
What they did for fun
Or if they did anything at all

Wondering about their statures and such
If they were tall or small
If they were strong or feeble

Wondering about their sexual preferences
If they got off with the opposite gender
Or remained entwined with their own

Wondering how their lights went out
If death brought them pain
Or if it was the sweetest release

Wondering what they lived for
If they were ever really awake
Or if they spent their days sleepwalking

Wondering if those resting beneath the surface
Ever wondered the sort of things
I am wondering a mere six feet above them

Author's Note

Thoughts?

Reviews

[imawriter]

I love cemeteries. You can learn a lot of history from reading the older headstones. Some of them have lovely poems on them, some have a brief history of the person, or a brief family tree essay. I even ran across one tombstone that began :Here lie's ------ Murdered 00, 00 1800. I think your description would be more befitting to one of the more modern cemeteries... the headstones just have the name and birth year and death year. No real indication that this was ever an actual person. They do leave you wondering and with a sense of sadness and emptiness . You captured that feeling perfectly.. Keep writing and I will keep reading!

[shoshana]

I like it. Very nicely written, and it has great imagery.

"A warming, eastern yellow glow
Illuminates the snowy landscape
Of a nondescript town"

This was my favorite part.

[LJW]

You put into words what I am sure most of us think when walking through and looking around a cemetery.


Very good work here.

The last line (and how you chose to make the font size smaller) is brilliant. I love last lines. They can either make or break a poem.

[talulu love]

WOW ITS so strong

GOOD JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I LIKE IT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g91YGe5ouqs