Sunday 25 July 2010

an epitaph

liam took a particular interest in the poetry on some gravestones, sitting side-by-side and with the same inscription. his interest was sufficient that he turned me from my imminent departure and helped me to the other side of the cemetery so that we could try to figure out what it said. the boy wants to read poetry!
the first was easier to read but had only part of the verse inscribed. it was a privilege to uncover the remaining verse on our return home


Pass a few swiftly-fleeting years,

And all that now in bodies live

Shall quit, like me, the vale of tears,

Their righteous sentence to receive.

But all, before they hence remove,

May mansions for themselves prepare

In that eternal house above;

And, O my God, shall I be there?

6 comments:

  1. oh what words you give for me to ponder>>>the closer i get to the end the more i think of those i knew before and less of those i know now>>>>i hope those around don't condemn me for that thought

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  2. before death that is<<<>> those i know now aren't dead>>at least in the head, bread>>>noth said

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  3. i knew what you meant, putz.

    you will have eternity with the ones who have gone before, make memories with the ones who will miss you

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  4. Most unusual to see a poem on a gravestone. I'm wondering if swietly should actually be sweetly, though that doesn't really go with a vale of tears. And it looks like they forgot the "Yrs" and had to squeeze it in afterwards!

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  5. nick,
    yes, there were all kinds of little oddities with odd spellings and funny layout. maybe the stonemason wasnt really a stonemason?
    it all adds to the interest and mystery, eh?

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  6. As young as white settlement in your part of the word is, it's still a bit older than here in the American Northwest. I just love old cemeteries.

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