The Recording of a Cemetery

Today we walked where others walked

On a lonely, windswept hill;

Today we talked where others cried

For Loved Ones whose lives are stilled.

 

Today our hearts were touched

By graves of tiny babies;

Snatched from the arms of loving kin,

In the heartbreak of the ages.

 

Today we saw where the grandparents lay

In the last sleep of their time;

Lying under the trees and clouds-

Their beds kissed by the sun and wind.

 

Today we wondered about an unmarked spot;

Who lies beneath this hallowed ground?

Was it a babe, child, young or old?

No indication could be found.

 

Today we recorded for kith and kin

The graves of ancestors past;

To be preserved for generations hence,

A record we hope will last.

 

Cherish it, my friend; preserve it, my friend

For stones sometimes crumble to dust

And generations of folks yet to come

Will be grateful for your trust.

 

{Written by Thelma Greene Reagan}