Rhona Mcferran Poet Shadorma

Tombstone Tales

Through graveyard
meandering, just
me and Dad
stories sad
abbreviated down to
mostly names and dates

So we tell
their stories by turns
like poor Duane
Dinwiddie
died at age thirty-three of
bee sting allergy

So tragic
how she caught a chill
Angeline
age nineteen
who died before her wedding
day, her groom grieves still

Or the war
heroes, Frank and Finn
taken in
the prime of
life, no child or wife, they were
just children themselves

Gunther Gold
did what he was told
gullible
on a dare
lost his life to win respect 
bullies didn't care

Bartleby
hypochondriac
cough, sneeze, hack
was ignored
by the whole village, but he
got them back- with plague

Len Kramer
the lion tamer
tried to save
his wife when
she unwisely came in, but-
got eaten instead

Philetus
on flying trapeeze
an ace- the
very best
until he had to sneeze- then
sadly laid to rest

Then Daddy
looks at me and I
look at him
giving in
to sudden gales of laughter
glad to be alive



(NOTE: Although I listed this as a Free Verse, it is actually in Shadorma form...)

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Andrea Dietrich November 3, 2018 at 9:15 PM I really enjoyed this. It's kind of whimsical and just really fun to read. LOVED the ending. Rhona Mcferran November 4, 2018 at 10:07 AM Thank you, Andrea!! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it! ;)

Michelle Faulkner November 2, 2018 at 3:46 PM Great old fashioned names here, really like Gunther Gold, Bartleby and Phileus, also such funny unexpected rhymes! Rhona Mcferran November 2, 2018 at 4:37 PM Thank you!! I had the idea for this weeks ago, but the details didn't fill themselves in until much later... (things like this do not come easily to me!)

Rico Leffanta October 31, 2018 at 1:05 PM Well done! I have wandered cemeteries around the world enjoying the last words - from those who stuck around! A good read! Aloha! Rico Rhona Mcferran October 31, 2018 at 2:20 PM Thank you! Yes, it is fascinating to read what people choose to engrave as a memorial... ;)

Caren Krutsinger October 31, 2018 at 1:01 AM This went straight to my FAV list, as it struck me in my HILARIOUS funny bone right away. Love the keen sense of humor, and the rememberance of going through the cemetary and doing similar story-making-upping. Rhona Mcferran October 31, 2018 at 7:45 AM So glad it brought back pleasant memories for you! Your comment made me smile... I would've LOVED to have heard the tales you came up with!! ;D

Chris Green October 30, 2018 at 4:55 PM This was really cool. What a great idea to sit around a grave yard and come up with your own stories about the deceased. Maybe a little morbid but I really like it. Nicely done. Rhona Mcferran October 30, 2018 at 5:37 PM Thank you so much! What can I say- I came from a really creative (but weird) family... Glad you enjoyed this! ;)