Carve Us Deeper In the Stone

A graveyard stands upon the hill;
its tombstones smoothed beneath the tide
of nature's forces beating hard;
I pass and hear the buried cry.
"Reverse the trend, relentless grown,
that would erase our names for aye;
for who grants thought to silent stones
and corpses claimed in nameless graves?
We yet would speak, if you inquire,
if you draw near with ear and heart .
We speak of dreams left unfulfilled;
we sing our song which but in part
was heard before our souls were claimed.
Oh, who will hear what we would tell
with our last link with life consumed,
when dust with dust is mingled well?
We have a vision unattained
by you who still are flesh and bone;
if you our secrets wish to shard,
dare carve us deeper in the stone."

©Faye Lanham Gibson, 1987


This poem was inspired by a very old cemetery behind my home.
The tombstones were worn so badly that the names could hardly
be discerned.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2014

Poem

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Raven Avatar
June 10, 2014 at 5:26 PM
I'm a firm believer in that we bury our dead alive, in spirit anyway... They speak to us, every day, as internal voices in our head. How sweet of you to give these lost souls a voice. - Raven
K. Avatar
April 12, 2014 at 1:20 PM
Wow, this is really beautiful, Faye-- I really like how you gave a voice to those who were buried in those tombstones-- I am glad Tim told us about you, sorry it is only now that I got around to reading your poems :) --nikko
Gibson Avatar
April 13, 2014 at 3:17 AM
Thank you for reading and commenting. I appreciate the feedback. I am looking forward to reading your work as well...not enough time to do everything we would like to do!
Gorelick Avatar
April 11, 2014 at 6:18 PM
this is so very good. I hope you are enjoying "us"...the soup is glad to have you. BG
Gibson Avatar
April 11, 2014 at 6:22 PM
I am enjoying you all....just not enough time. Thank you so much!
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