It's probably a bit creepy, but I love visiting the older cemeteries. Stepping through their gates is like entering a portal into the past. The craftsmanship of the headstones...the inferred stories from looking at the dates and inscriptions...the decay of the stones as nature takes over...to me, it is an exquisite experience of storytelling at its best. Springwood Cemetery in Greenville, South Carolina did not disappoint.
Throughout the cemetery there are tributes to the men who lost their lives during the bloody battles of the Civil War. Regardless of what the fight was over, the huge loss of life is quite sad and still palpable.
It is difficult to understand that it takes violence to resolve an issue; all these years later, the source of the conflict still exists. My hope is that one day we all learn to communicate in a way that is respectful so that we can listen and learn from the different perspectives that abound.
The graves of children also bring much sadness, and can be recognized through symbols of innocence, such as this lamb carved atop the headstone.
The grief of a parent who suffers this loss can be felt throughout.
Mixed with the loss is the promise of Spring and renewal, as witnessed through the blossoms of the Dogwood.
Despite the seeming durability of stone, nothing lasts forever though, and nature eventually takes over.
More Cemetery shots at my main website.
Agreed. We saw and felt similar emotions in our visits to various places in the South. In some spots, the Civil War was only yesterday and in memory yet green.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dave, from a fellow cemetery observer.
JG