Roaming the Cemetery
I just returned from a 2-week writing residency in Martins Ferry, Ohio, a small town on the Ohio River across from Wheeling, West Virginia. 2 weeks of open time & space to work on my novel. Besides the fact that I experienced tremors from missing the series finale of Dexter, the trip was amazing. Productive, inspiring, rejuvenating.
Right across the road from the place I stayed, the MITCH Collective, is the Riverview Cemetery, which dates back to the Civil War. I walked the cemetery almost every day, browsing the gravestones & absorbing the stories & spirits of long ago.
I felt called to pass by every grave, to witness every name, & I did just that, even venturing into forgotten corners to uncover markers overgrown by the surrounding woods.
I have lost more than my share of loved ones in this lifetime, beginning at the age of 14 when I lost my uncle, Frank Breckenridge. I am honored to have such a powerful circle of ancestors on the other side, encircling me with their love.
I have always felt a relentless push to do right by these ancestors. I want to make them proud. I want them to know I carry a piece of each of them with me, & those pieces help navigate how I live, who I choose to be & the art I create.
But leaving Martins Ferry & saying goodbye to the Riverview Cemetery, I took something more–something new–back to San Diego. A cloud of consciousness if you will, an assemblage of the souls who traveled the same earth I walked in southeast Ohio, 20, 75, 150 years ago.
These spirits have no connection to my family tree, or my assumed community, yet they jumped my train for a lift, or more likely, I jumped their train for reasons I have yet to identify. Either way, I now feel intrinsically bound to this cloud of witnesses, & since returning home, I feel them behind me, like a subtle but constant tailwind, giving my wings just a little more lift.
My new traveling companions leave me in awe of the lives & hopes & dreams that came before me. They remind me our tenure on this planet is short, & while I may imagine my existence is forever, in reality, I am but one link & the chain stretches back far beyond anything I can comprehend.
My circle of ancestors & now, my assemblage of souls, challenge me to make it a good run this time around. Eventually, someone else will be wandering a cemetery, cleaning weeds off my gravestone, wondering what kind of life I led. And all that will be left are my name, date of birth, date of death, & the link I left behind. I hope it’s a worthy one.
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Anita, I have missed your writing so very much! Your writing has purpose, is thoughtful, humorous and challenges one to think. I look forward to more. Thank you for enlightening me today. I am a true fan of your gifts. Congratulations on another fine piece!
Thanks, Steph. Lord knows you’ve seen my writing through many incarnations through the years & have stuck with me through all the starts & stops.
amazing
As always, Gabby, a woman of too many words! Thanks for reading.
Thank you for posting this piece, Anita. Cemeteries are holy places to me. When I go there, if I’m quiet and reverent, I will hear (sense) stories and connect with some kind of spirit energy that makes me happy/sad and opens my heart.
I’m so glad you got to have your journey to this place in Ohio, for all it evoked for you and will continue to evoke.
Would love to take you to both Martins Ferry and the Riverview Cemetery, Judy. Sacred ground indeed, and I know you would connect with some of the same spirit I found there. Thank you for your support and encouragement in making the residency happen. You’re a gift in both my life and my work.
Thoughtful and personal- I really enjoyed this!
Thanks for reading, Laura. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I enjoyed reading about your experience.Grave yard walks are very cool.
Hope you got to see the Dexter finale…what did you think?!
Kathi, while the Dexter finale was the first thing I watched on TV when I came back to civilization, I’m actually still processing it. What a weird ending, not sure if I thought it was brilliant or absolutely frustrating. Can anyone say Dexter movie a la X-Files precedent? Completely aside from that, thanks for reading the blog!
Thanks for sharing this Anita. Enjoyed reading your insights and experiences of your trip. I’ve wandered many a cemetery over the years and especially found the ones in Ireland so fascinating…knowing ancestors were there somewhere…wondering what their lives were like…
Wow, Indy. Cemeteries in Ireland…how cool is that? I thought the older Civil War graves back east were powerful. I can’t imagine being in the presence of Spirit from centuries ago. Would love to visit Ireland someday & look up my family’s roots.
Young souls, old souls…we cetainly have something to learn from each one. Fascinating to think that maybe the souls you encountered there are truly souls that you might re-encounter anywhere.
It was super fascinating. Humbling & unique.
I never tire of reading whatever you write. You always touch me—-as well as making me smile. Thanks for sharing with me!
Thanks for reading the blog, Mom. I’m glad it connected with you. And it was so great getting to hang a little with you on this recent trip back home. Especially great getting to hike the Rail Trail down in Scio with you.