In the Local Cemetery

Some new-dead graves, earth freshly dug
Hide friends and kin we used to hug
Those who cared and we loved too
Who meant the world to me and you.

They lie now silent in a row
Their neighbours, those they did not know
In life; but in death they now share
This hallowed ground, this atmosphere.

I wander round the ancient tombs
Brightened sometimes with new blooms
But most are barren, coldly left
Of family mourners quite bereft.

Many are those who come today
To meditate, perhaps to pray
Small children run wild round the stone
While widows stand still, quite alone.

War veterans with flags pass by
Respectful, solemn and still spry
Recalling those who’ve gone before
So once a year they live once more.

(c) Poet in the woods 2013