What if it isn’t all snow? What if we only think it’s snow? White, white, everywhere white, snow from the sky and ghosts from the graves. As the sun slanted in the sky on this wintry day, I wondered about the shadows cast by the tombstones, noticed only when I returned home and removed the photos from my camera.
I am not a photographer; I only play at it. But I am a writer who sees things that
perhaps she shouldn’t see. Done is done,
though. I know they’re out there. I see them.
What would Mrs. Mary Mackins say? Born in 1679 and died in 1776 at the age of
93, she just had time to see the Revolutionary War end and the U.S. become a
nation. I think one of the shadows out
there belongs to her. And certainly her
husband, William MacKinel (different spelling, but it is her husband), must
have much to say. He, too, was born in
1679, but he died in 1782 at the age of 103.
Yes, there are many graves of young adults and children, but there lots
of graves of older people as well.
Contrary to popular belief, people did often live to a ripe old age a
long time ago.
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| The old Harpswell Common Burying Ground. |
Octavia Merriman died in 1869 at the age of 25. On her tombstone it says, “Oh friends of my
mortal years, the trusted and the true.
Some walking still in the vale of tears, I wait to welcome you.” She holds a lantern out there in the cold
snow, oblivious to the icy fingers of the winter wind. You’ll meet her someday.
Captain David Perry died in 1818 at the age of 40. His tombstone says, “Beneath the cloud of
silent dust, I sleep where all the living must.” Death was a familiar thing back then,
something that people knew intimately.
Bodies were not embalmed or made up to look as though they were alive. Everyone faced the fact that death was
imminent. They were not distracted by
electronic devices. They knew their time
was short. They acknowledged it and
lived their lives accordingly.
"Under this stone my mortal relics lie, my soul is fled to yonder world on high. Ye living, learn to live & learn to die, and so enjoy ablest eternity. Take this advice from once your living friend, tho' dead I speak, think on your latter end." Good advice from Daniel Randall who died in 1816 at the age of 72.
The old Harpswell Common Burying Ground is full of good
advice and memories of people who lived their lives much as we do today. They loved and laughed and hurt and
triumphed. They had friendships and
loves and hates, just as we do. Now the
snow covers everything but the tombstones thrusting up through the ice. There are no footprints in the graveyard,
save mine. Ghosts do not leave their
trails in the snow, only in our hearts and minds.
