Here, Sit I

(Another one from the Victorian Graveyard)

i do not know you
yet i’m drawn to sit beside
this moss stained stone

here in shade where pine cones fall
drenched by April’s constant rain
here I sit where songbirds’ notes
sing mournful songs from
tiny throats

where bluebells gather at your feet
and ivy vines cling dampened ground
here beneath forget me nots
your buried bones reach out to me
i swear i heard a muffled cry
here I sit alone with thoughts

of why a child should breathe her last
of why a child from decades past
should touch my heart
an open grave
should kiss my cheek
as I walk by

Reviews

[JD Major]

... I humbly confess, Chris, this one brought a tear.
You have a knack for writing your reader into a scene.
Bittersweet, beautiful :)

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you so much JDM. Your lovely review lifted me. So pleased you stopped by. All the best.

Chris

[willweb]

Wow, that was sad Chris. Like a painting in shades of gray. Your words reach deep and prod us, saying, look, here lies innocence, silently forever.

Well crafted my friend.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you will. The graveyard was Victorian and reclaimed by nature. This child’s short life touched me. I sat beside her for a few minutes . The graveyard is incredibly peaceful, the birdsong out of this world, and it’s virtually on my doorstep. Nice to walk there.

Chris

[Ken Simm.]

This hits so many points with me. Timeless and melancholy but visual and heartful at the same time.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you so much Ken for your thoughts. Pleased the poem meant something to you. Have s good weekend.

Chris

[Thomas W Case]

Beautiful imagery and tone of serenity.

[Chris Shaw]

Many thanks Thomas. I appreciate you.

Chris

[AYVID N]

"where bluebells gather at your feet
and ivy vines cling dampened ground
here beneath forget me nots
your buried bones reach out to me"

Dear Chris,
I'm awed at the sheer beauty of your description of the cemetery you were passing through....Your reader can feel the moist greenery, the flowers squashed in the damp mud, the haunting sounds of birds and the sense of loss, emptiness in the April rain. It must be so cold there...I can feel this walk past those lonely graves...

Some do reach out to us, touch us with a spiritual hand as we pass by. We feel connected, stop and wonder about them, the brief lives they lived and leave behind our thoughts of compassion.

I must add here that you took me back to my stroll through the Pere Lachaise Cemetery of Paris and it was exactly as you describe it and that's why this is a very special poem to me.

[Chris Shaw]

So lovely to have you call again Divya and to hear this poem is special for you because of the memories it evokes. Recently discovered this graveyard, off the beaten track but so very close to home. It is incredibly peaceful and reclaimed by nature. I find peace there. Have a beautiful weekend.

Chris

[AYVID N]

Loved this poem and you're so lucky to have such a beautiful place to visit and be filled with peace and wonderment.
Have a great day, my friend. 💐💕

[JessyJacob]

hi chris, i am also becoming night timer, with busy day work, i am taking nap in evening, just stopped by to see whther you are having good sleep.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Jessy. I am doing fine. Happy birthday for Tuesday.

[JessyJacob]

Thank you so much for your wishes Chris, i know you will wish me. If hour birthday what bday present you like to have??

[poetgurl]

Oh wow! this is definitely heart tugging. I can feel a heart break and tears.
Such a sad write. Nicely expressed though.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you poetgurl. I appreciate your thoughtful review and your visit. Thanks for stopping by.
read moreThank you poetgurl. I appreciate your thoughtful review and your visit. Thanks for stopping by.

Chris

[Poetic Beauty]

I believe some of feel emotions and energies on a deeper level and sometimes I think echos of those energy lingers. I also think that we people depending on our life experiences are touched by things that may not affect others.

For me God creates us all differently and this moment pulled at your heart strings and made you think on a deeper level emotionally.

I could picture this scene in my mind as I read it. Greens of moss and grays of cement headstones stood out in my mind. Well done with wording and imagery

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you PB. I think you are right. I pick up energy and can feel emotions intensely. In graveyards I am attracted to certain graves, as though the spirits are asking me to stop and remember the dead. I appreciate your thoughts here. Have a good weekend.

Chris

[Poetic Beauty]

You are welcome Chris and I hope you enjoy your weekend too

[Seriana]

Hum....hoping this is what I think it is and not something far more sad. Sometimes we are drawn to a space for a while, for reasons unknown. I knew a man who would go to the cemeteries and "talk to the children". I thought it odd, at first. But then I began to wonder if he brought peace to an otherwise lonely situation. It made me smile.

I hope your sitting brought you something that you keep with you. Thanks for sharing this part of you!

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Seriana. This poem was inspired by visiting an old Victorian cemetery. Completely reclaimed by nature. So many children, no antibiotics in those days. Very peaceful there.

Chris

[jacob erin-cilberto]

and you may be the lone visitor that child's spirit is grateful to have.
j.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you j. So many children died young in the Victorian era. Much disease and no antibiotics.
read moreThank you j. So many children died young in the Victorian era. Much disease and no antibiotics.

Chris