Cemetery Series, Part II

A rather belated post, I'm afraid -- but here is the second part of the cemetery series. These photos are of the cemetery near the senior apartments on campus. Though the graves are not as interesting as the ones in the Cimetière Bellarbre, this cemetery has the advantage of a large tree to lean against when reading poetry or writing a paper.


Approaching the cemetery -- it was overcast the day I took these pictures.


A Most excellent tree


The hazy shade of winter



Angled


I love the look of wet leaves.


Despite the spelling, the one on the right seems familiar...


Watching over the dead


Flowers in the damp leaves


From the back of the cemetery


The Two Trees

Explanation for the Concerned & Weaponry

So. Perhaps I was over-hasty in posting my latest entry with the photos of the cemetery, for two reasons. First, it's important to note that apparently images do not show up in the email feed, so some of y'all may have gotten simply the list of captions. Thus, they would have seen a vaguely emo and scatterbrained poem. The photos are the essential part of the post, folks!

Second, I must be clear. I am not a card-carrying Goth who wears excessive amounts of black eyeliner, maintains a grieved expression, and clutches a Nightwish CD. Though I occasionally indulge in my romantic sensibilities and attempt to walk lightly among oak trees, singing ballads (off-key), and looking for mythic creatures, it's not because I'm mentally imbalanced. Yes, I wrote my share of depressed love poetry in high school (fortunately, that's not longer my métier); however, I am not depressed nor do I immerse myself in macabre settings constantly. The cemetery is a place of quiet, of history, of beauty; I enjoy it for those reasons, not because I long to live out a Poe short story.

Anyway. Over Easter break my brother gave me this fantastic weapon that he re-made for me, completely of his own volition. He's gotten interested in steampunk as well, so he refashioned this nerf gun which will come in handy should I ever really get into cosplay. Thanks bro!

[classy carpet shot]

Cimetière Bellarbre

When it comes to places where I can study, there are several options: the library, the student union, my room, and the computer lab. Sadly, none of these places holds any kind of great aesthetic appeal. Enter the Cimetière Bellarbre, a small cemetery near campus. Of the three local cemeteries, it is my favourite. I must confess that I named it myself, as there seems to be no traditional name given besides "the Main Street cemetery." This cemetery is superior to the other two for several reasons: 1) It is the closest to my room; 2) It has the oldest graves; 3) The trees are charming; and 4) There is a bench on which to spread out.

This morning I had several essays on Renaissance Revenge to read, and so I headed out, this time with my camera to capture the scene. The sky was overcast, on the verge of rain, so conditions were ideal.



Walking into the cemetery, with the bench toward the back


Cracked from old age? Or darker forces at work?


A plaque at the center of the bench's stone courtyard


Note how the lid to this grave is shifted...


Siblings


One of the older graves, dating to 1888


The back of the bench


The courtyard (with a bonus shot of my boot toe)


The sun broke through the clouds as I sat on the bench


Another view where where I sat


Sun in the trees!


To my left


The curious carving on the arm of the bench


My favourite grave. It is the only one I've ever seen that says "drowned" instead of "died," and I feel that this man has the makings of a story.

The view through the gate, while departing