They say the Key West cemetery has close to 80,000 people buried in it. One is allowed to visit by car or no foot or by bicycle but scooters and motorcycles are banned thanks to the bad behavior of a few.
There are the famous grave headstones of the witty and dead but so many of these vaults are simple and reverent memories of actual family members, it's hard to choose which to photograph. this one below reminded me of the Italian style where I grew up with a photo included on the headstone.
The etching of the boat was quite beautiful,and made a powerful statement. Perhaps i should be planning my headstone but my instructions are clear for my wife: cremation and scattering at sea. From the primal muck and back to it in the end. 
Mind you, when you see this sort of scenery it makes you think that perhaps eternity surrounded by flowers and sunshine might not be so bad. The other great Key West tradition is the roof over the grave which I find charming.
Work is underway to spruce up the cemetery but I find it a fine place to walk and think and enjoy some peace and quiet among the dead. that many people fear cemeteries seems profoundly odd to me.
We are lucky we have 19 acres of peace and quiet in the middle of the city available for us to be reminded so eloquently of the city's past.
I wrote a long essay about this place in 2008:
There are the famous grave headstones of the witty and dead but so many of these vaults are simple and reverent memories of actual family members, it's hard to choose which to photograph. this one below reminded me of the Italian style where I grew up with a photo included on the headstone.The etching of the boat was quite beautiful,and made a powerful statement. Perhaps i should be planning my headstone but my instructions are clear for my wife: cremation and scattering at sea. From the primal muck and back to it in the end. Mind you, when you see this sort of scenery it makes you think that perhaps eternity surrounded by flowers and sunshine might not be so bad. The other great Key West tradition is the roof over the grave which I find charming.
Work is underway to spruce up the cemetery but I find it a fine place to walk and think and enjoy some peace and quiet among the dead. that many people fear cemeteries seems profoundly odd to me.We are lucky we have 19 acres of peace and quiet in the middle of the city available for us to be reminded so eloquently of the city's past.I wrote a long essay about this place in 2008:
1 comment:
Hi Michael,
Heidi and I find ourselves walking the cemetery almost every day, if not twice a day, while we are down there on vacation.
We are unlike most people that come down for the noise and drunkeness. It seems that the residents of the cemetery make better company than most people that we encounter. (yourself excluded of course!)
Len
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