Joyce Dunn

Why Would Anyone Want to Write About Cemetaries?



Posted: Tuesday, April 12, 2011

by Joyce Dunn

I think for most people the word cemetary produces images of sadness and loss, of people and times now gone. The images my mind produce are a little different. I'd like to share them with you.

COUNTRY CEMETARY

Soft summer sun

Or cold winds and bare trees,

There is nothing quite so peaceful

As a country cemetery.

Fenced in by large trees

Planted long ago for protection,

Or miles wide vistas of the countryside.

Soft breezes caress, and carry the

Soothing songs of nearby birds.

The only sound of civilization

A train whistle, muted by distance.

I feel myself filled with a

Sense of peace and wonder.

The headstones are modest

For the most part. Some quite old,

An occasional crypt.

Family names frequently repeated.

Some graves have flowers that

Are frequently replaced,

Others lie bare of decoration.

And I wonder;

Have those who care also passed on?

Or do they no longer care?

Or the miles too great to make visits practical?

Or do they simply choose to connect

With their loved ones in a different way?
Joyce has been writing for her own enjoyment for many years, and only in the past few years has gained the courage to "go public" with her writing. She has had two books published, and is involved with the Fine Lines magazine as a special editor. Her writing primarily reflects her own experiences, or the life experiences she has observed in others. She has her own blog, New Post on my blog: http://jottingsfromjoyce.over-blog.com/ Then click on " view comments" in the green box to read the blog.

Her website is www.strinz.com/healing.

Joyce would like to add that she always welcomes constructive criticism comments.

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Top-level comments on this article: (5 total)
» left by David Tanguay
 1 year 45 days ago.
189 fans.
Good poem Joyce, thanks for sharing
» left by Joyce Dunn 1 year 45 days ago.
33 fans.
Thanks David. Glad you enjoyed it.
» left by Ian Black
 1 year 43 days ago.
let's lighten this up - I was about 19, one late afternoon my then girlfriend (and 42years later now my wife) and I had walked towards the railway station, along the cemetery path close to her home and we decided to take a rest and sit down for a quiet chat on the side of the footpath behind a very large hedge - not too long later - about 25mins my girlfriend's father appears as I am putting the shoes I wore back on and tying the laces, naturally he his concerned and asks "what am I doing" my dead pan reply "doing up my shoe laces" hit the spot, I was shuffled out and on my way before I knew what had happened...apparently my girlfriend was told to never mention to her mother where her father had found her...much to my girlfriends cmild amusement...

we still laugh about it today but sadly both her parents have passed on - we never discussed this with either of them and I don't think her mother ever knew about our cemetery story...(-:
» left by spell check daddy from public school road 1 year 41 days ago.
Cemetery has THREE E's!!!!!
» left by Jennifer Stewart
 1 year 40 days ago.
153 fans.
This is a beautiful poem, Joyce. I love cemeteries, they seem very peaceful to me, far from the madding crowd :)
» left by Chiradeep
 328 days 1 hour ago.
86 fans. Follow Chiradeep on twitter!
Great article, Joyce! Very well written and presented. Regards, Chiradeep
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