Live oaks bow down in honor
Of those who have passed and
Whose memories are etched in stone
And become the spirits who inhabit the quiet space.
The dog statue stands ready
To serve its masters, also departed
In heaven they take endless effortless walks,
While those left behind still labor in their steps
Family and local history abounds, along with records
Of lives lived fully or taken too young.
Single stones in family plots were the first to go,
Temporarily alone while waiting for the others.
Grasshoppers and lizards climb the headstones,
Lizards having taken the lookout perches as their own.
Oblivious to the humans lying below who do not threaten
The creatures who keep them company.
A shady bench beacons visitors
Who rest a while, or meditate.
Tree roots upend headstones and create
An uneven path while slowly taking back the land.