To the grave

I took an extended lunchtime stroll today.

I was noodling around with the keyboard, but with my head being elsewhere the “joy” was quite definitely lost, leaving something odious. I did take the step of getting a lesson booked in for next week though, so hopefully I can at least get the basics down and go from there.

My boss had mentioned that for the first time in a long time, he’d been able to take his father to lay some flowers on his mother’s (my boss’s) grave. He commented about the calming serenity of a place which might normally be associated with something maudlin or macabre, but I knew what he meant as I find the walk down from Kendal Castle through the graveyard the same. It is very calming and holds within it a strange, colourful beauty.

I noticed a bench I hadn’t seen before and took some time to pause and reflect. I was struck by two things. The first being a little mouse snuffling around and running right past my feet and the second that all the gravestones were engraved with messages of love and fondness. You never see any gravestones which have been made in anger with messages such as “Rot in hell, you miserable bastard” or “Finally!” or “Good Riddance” etc. I tapped out a few lines on it:-

There are no arseholes in graveyards.
Each occupant loved or cherished.
Before they perished.


There are no arseholes in graveyards.
The good immortalised with kind words
Or commemorative foliage
Feasted on by birds. 


There are no arseholes in a graveyard.
Where are they laid to rest?
Not to ask would probably be best.

The walk served its purpose and I went back to work, before heading straight back out on another as soon as 5pm hit. Didn’t see much as I was enjoying the evening sunshine too much, but I did spot this heron across the way.

On my return, I went back to the keyboard and pecked out a couple more tunes and manage to re-establish some joy in the ode before the next tune (Perfect by Ed Sheeran) promptly removed it all again.

Fortunately, a binge watch of Modern Family and a blip sorted me out again!