A Poem on the Website of
the Red Dirt Writers Society

Country Graveyard
by Larry Foreman (Mar 2013)

The other day I was driving down a dirt road,

      And I came upon a small graveyard.

I had a thought to stop and wander around

      For a bit to see what was there.

Gravestones were scattered over half the space.

      The rest was cleared to house future guests.

Some of the stones stood tall and erect;

      Others were upright slabs facing west.

All bore record of some person long dead.

      Apparently few have died recently in this vicinity.

The road, woods, and pasture provide the setting.

      Only two single trees stand stand among the stones.

Around three sides there is a barbed wire fence.

      I suppose that’s to keep cattle from trampling the graves.

Along the road side, there is an iron fence.

      It’s gives a pretty face to passers-by.

I wonder if that’s there to keep the residents in

      Or to separate the living from the dead.