The gate creaks in the early morning and the late evening, though I've never seen it close
The flags ripple in the wind
Four hanging in the sky, stars and stripes a burst of light from the grey poles which they are strung upon
Little ceramic angels sit and watch
They rest upon the heads of the lucky ones
The remembered ones
While they are cleaned and swept for leaves and sprayed for insects
Others rot away
Sinking into the earth, falling farther and farther away from the Heavens
You deserved better, honey
Better than cracked greys and rising mounds
The question poses itself from the writings that are hardly visible anymore
Are you still there?
In the dark night, I feel no fear
As I pass by the mausoleums
We talk and laugh, wondering who is there
Wondering who would want to be there
It's none of us
It's no one we love
Walk with me to face the people we never knew, hardly knew, and loved with all our souls
Follow me to where they say their aching souls still are
The children are taught not to walk on graves
For fear or for respect
But you can walk across hers, I told the namesake
She wouldn't mind a bit.
When it rains, it pours
I hope the children aren't afraid
Perhaps they play with the toys
They were left planes and trains and cars
Pretend animals and roses and photographs
I've never seen them gather dust
Dirt, sure
But kids are prone to make a mess
I listen, eyes closed, ears open
All that's left is wind
Wind and the dying, forever dying
Can you hear me anymore
Or are you just like the rest of us
All alone in a great dying world?
It's seen me in the low points
When my heart was hardly beating
And one day it'll see me
When my breathing is nothing but wind
Though I wasn't here from the start
There's no one left that was
Nor will I be here for the end
I still like to think I know quite a lot about the ancient trees and resting folks
I watched them throw dirt on a woman who hadn't yet turned twenty-five
I've seen the fresh soil on a baby girl, her dolls gathering dust and grime
I saw them pull away the coffin of a boy forever fifteen
I've stared at a man who I never met, who I don't think I want to ever want to hear speak
For most of you, I raise my eyes towards Heaven
I can offer you nothing but love and respect.
In the early chill of a spring day, are you still there?
In the rain of a January evening, are you still there?
In the dreary afternoon of December, are you still there?
When years pass without a photograph, and people come and go, and houses fall and rise from the ground
When the pathways change, and the world is despairing, and everyone is so different, myself included
I do not know if any of us are still here.
Sorry, I must've lost signal
It happens every time we pull into the gates
Are you still there?
