Grave Faces VIII

I came across this pajama party angel a few weeks ago.

She looks just like a teenage girl at a sleep over.

Her mouth is open and she's telling me something.

Something personal, because she knows me so well.

And it's just as scary now as it was in 1967 -

for different reasons.

This woman is not interested in telling me anything.

She's on a mission.

Her head is tilted down with determination

and her eyes are set on her goal.

Although I'm sure  the message is about heaven,

I must say that I've seen that look

on the faces of teachers who are desperately

trying to find time to get to the washroom

during recess.

I get the feeling that

she knows that I am here

and at any moment

her eyes will snap open.

I don't linger.

If this angel is aware of me, 

she doesn't let on.

Her wings are big and heavy looking

and she is very slight

so perhaps she is simply tired.

I suppose angels have to grow into their wings and

adolescence is a struggle in heaven too.

This little fellow really made me laugh.

His name is Hope,


 but neither his face nor his position

suggest anything hopeful.

But he is patient.

If he has to

he can wait an eternity


 for someone to come along and free him.

But he won't have to wait - 

because the message of Spring is

rebirth and hope.

Happy mid April, everyone!

Grave Faces VI

To everything there is a season ...

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Spring is a time to tend to graves.

It is a time to do right by the guardians who have weathered the storms of winter.

This little fellow looks as if he's been waiting an eternity for someone to come and tidy him up.

I've seen students wear that look of resignation when they've been waiting for something necessary but mildly threatening to happen - like a dental screening.

Maybe boy angels don't like their spring baths.

Faeries originated in pre-Christian times and  aren't very common in the graveyards I've visited.

Not surprising because faeries are wild and magical creatures, capable of stealing a person's soul.

This one has a bit of a zombie-ish look but seems friendly enough.  

I found it sitting on the ground in front of a weeping angel.

Pagan and Christian. Two very different attitudes towards life in the other world.

Someone wanted to make sure that all of the spiritual bases were covered, I suppose.

As a rule I don't touch another family's guardians, but this little creature looked so vulnerable I just couldn't leave her on the ground.

I imagine that the spring sun will wake her up.


Or a quick scrub under the faucet if the family gets to her before the warm weather does.

"I'm awake! I'm awake!"

It looks as if she heard me coming and quickly got into position without having had time to wash her face or brush off the flotsam and jetsam of winter.

Not as carefully formed as the last two, but on the other hand she is much younger.

Almost an embryo angel, or one just out of the shell.


She looks chilly, as if she should be snuggled under the wing of her angel mother instead of already on the job.

I seem to have startled this sweet blue bear and timid furry bunny.

They are a poignant reminder that Death comes not just for the old

I imagine them sitting on the child's window sill and watching over the crib the way they now watch over his or her resting place.

Blessed are those who mourn

For they shall be comforted ...

Matthew 5:4

It is extraordinarily peaceful here and although I have found that time doesn't lessen the pain, I hope it has brought some measure of acceptance.

***

Related articles

• Faery Kingdom (thefaerieworld.wordpress.com)
• Faeries, Aliens and Otherworlds - Keys to Parallel Worlds and Multidimensions? (loupdargent.com)

Grave Faces IV

Christmas is all about the birth of the baby Jesus, right?

So you wouldn't expect to find sculptures of the Holy Family in cemeteries, cemeteries being all about death, not birth, right?

They  do show up however, and in light of the Christmas season here are a few versions of the 'grave' Holy Family.

At this tomb Mother and son wear magnificent crowns.

Jesus is looking upwards - to heaven I suppose, but He gives me the impression that He is trying very hard to keep the crown balanced on his head.


Mary looks strained. Like most mothers she is weighed down with responsibilities

- never mind the part about being the Mother of God.

Anyone who knows the story would understand that Joseph's existential moment here is not just for the person whose burial they are attending, but also for his son.

This baby Jesus rests a hand on his father's cheek to comfort him and gazes sympathetically at the mourners.

 

Mother and son look down from the sky at the grave of the person whose burial they have been called to attend.

Such an implacable look on Mary's face. She knows that the fate of the deceased is out of her hands now.

Jesus, although still a toddler, blesses the body.


It almost looks like a formal departure at a train station.

The Holy Family has gathered for a burial in Thorold and Joseph, the old man, is chilled at the thought of death. We see it in his face when he looks directly at the camera.

Mary, is lost in prayer. Unlike her husband, she has no doubts about the soul's journey through the afterlife.

Once again, Jesus raises his hand in a blessing.

And just because it wouldn't be right not to include one,

and because some might argue that municipal politics is a bone yard anyway

Here is a picture of the traditional Christmas creche that stands outside of St. Catharines City Hall.


Enjoy these last few weeks before Christmas, everyone!

Grave Faces II

Cemeteries are full of whimsy
and hope.

 

This tiny little fellow is not engaged in angelic work yet. 
He is far too young. 
As I snap his picture I wonder if angels are born or just magically appear.
If they are born, it means that angels ...

hmmm.

.

I love the look on her face.
It is the look that children get  when they are absorbed by the story they are hearing. 

I imagine that this angel is hearing the life story of the person upon whose tomb she rests.
Must have been a rip snorter of a life!

 Not quite old enough to guard the living or welcome the dead,
this child is engaged in tending the gardens. 
He takes his new responsiblity very seriously
like a child in charge of cleaning the chalk board brushes at school.

A pre-teen! 

 Because of the impish little smile, I keep expecting one eye to pop open

as she checks to see whether her friends have their eyes closed too. 

 I was tempted to put an ipod in the ear of this angel before I took her picture.
She looks lost tin her music like any teenager.

Such a compassionate face. 

 She looks like the kind of girl a teacher would pick to take care of the new kid in the class. 

I imagine this is the angel who greets new arrivals.

I hope she was on duty last week.

As I was leaving the cemetery today a butterfly landed in front of me.

A comforting symbol at the end of a sad week.