Highgate Cemetery

A visit to Highgate Cemetery, London with Pandora a poet friend. Although it was a hot day she had shivers running up and down her spine.

Through a colonnade we see

how green the ivy and the ferns

grow in this shaded avenue,

where trees have seeded through the years

to shelter mourners left in tears.

Vines entwine and lichen clings

to monuments of chiseled stone.

Angels bow their heads in sadness,

others lift their wings in gladness.

Influence of far off Egypt,

Redgrave, Marx and Mahler's daughter.

Grecian urns or celtic crosses,

all the faiths have suffered losses.

Magnifique this ornate splendour,

only for the richest people,

yet the dead I sense some linger

and their shadows point a finger.

Carvings mingle with the flora,

little cherubs trumpet loudly,

gothic style on family tombs,

while gloom descends on catacombs

and someone has tiptoed over Pandora's grave,

- time to leave.

Reviews

[Papaya]

"All faiths have suffered losses."

So true isn't it that in the beginning and in the end we are no more and no less than human.
All of us.

I enjoyed this. I wee bit of a chill at the end there but in general I find cemeteries to be peaceful resting places.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Ana. What you have said is so true. I wouldn't want to have been locked in that cemetery over night. The ornate splendour was overwhelming. I prefer simplicity.

Chris

[Dhara_Ditzy Kat]

I linger on each verse, taking in the beauty of the cemetery. So rich your descriptions of this shaded avenue that provides eternal rest to departed souls. Nature and architecture join hands to give death a surreal beauty all its own. A rest well earned after a race well run! Thank you for this breathtaking write.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Dhara, a fascinating place to visit. Much to contemplate on values as you as wander through that ornate and decaying sp!endour.

Chris

[Dhara_Ditzy Kat]

Of course Chris! The graveyard are fascinating, a different kind of world! It was my pleasure!

[Jimmy Yetts]

An elegant--though, somewhat chilling--portrayal.
Work that also amuses; deftly employing the purest poetry.
Much enjoyed, Chris!

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Jimmy. There was definitely a bit of chill in the air and it was a summer day.

read moreThank you Jimmy. There was definitely a bit of chill in the air and it was a summer day.

Chris

[Lorry]

This is spooky Chris, but not for the ending. I'm just now working on something about a visit last year to the necropolis in Glasgow, called remembering strangers.That too was only for the rich and I wondered what they would think now of the decaying statues in their honour.
Cemetaries really help you find peace amongst the chaos. I love reading the names and dates and just remembering strangers.
Like the wings you mention, the moss coveringsand the symbolism of their markers, they all fill the silence with the wonder of who they were. You really have captured that essence here. Poor Pandora though :)

[Chris Shaw]

Thanks Lorry. I found the place a bit spooky too. I think it was all that ornate decaying architecture that was a bit overwhelming. Sort of played on my mind. You know splendour versus poverty, particularly in Victorian times when there was so much poverty. Having said that, I find them fascinating. Looking forward to reading yours.

Chris

[Relic]

I love cemeteries. They're peaceful places to be. Your descriptions bring their characteristics to life.

Nice writing, Christine.

[Chris Shaw]

Thanks, your review is greatly appreciated.

[Stella Armour]

I am sure some do linger there , but only in a loving way .

Haunting but not sad at all really, an interesting journey around the resting place of so many and enthralling imagery to share... thank you

[Chris Shaw]

Your review Stella, is much appreciated. Thank you.

[Restless_Heart]

Made me feel melancholic heheheh.. :)

[Chris Shaw]

You absorbed the atmosphere of the poem. That's exactly what that place does to you, so it worked! Thank you for your kind review.

[Paul Bell]

How the other half die in splendour.
There is something exciting about gravestones.
That little bit of history as you wander around.
Take it was worth the visit.

[Chris Shaw]

Excellent visit Paul. You have to book in advance, you can't just walk around. Thank you for your response.

[Coyote Poetry]

I enjoyed this poem. I want to visit this place. Your good description made the Highgate Cemetery come alive in vision for the reader. Thank you Christine for sharing the amazing poetry.
Coyote

[Chris Shaw]

Google it. It is an amazing Victorian Cemetery, closed to the public unless you book a tour in advance. There are many, many famous people buried there, and the monuments to the dead are ornate, elaborate and interesting. I wouldn't want to visit at night though! Spooky. thank you for your very kind review. Have a great day.

[Coyote Poetry]

One day, I will return to visit. I visit London in the late seventies often. This place sounds very cool.

[Chris Shaw]

Well worth a visit. The family crypts are something else. The money spent on them certainly separated the rich from the poor in those days.