Tomb sculptures wordless Wednesday

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Silent Night

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

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Seeing stars

Other cemetery bloggers I read have noted the presence of five-pointed stars protruding from the foreheads of angel statues in cemeteries. I haven’t found as many as others have found, but these two examples are in Spring Grove Cemetery.

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Angel and stars

It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for old tombstones. There are a number of modern cemetery conventions that I’m not fond of, like the memorial gardens with only flat markers. But sometimes current technology produces amazing works of art.

I can’t get over the beauty of the angel etched into this stone. She’s strikingly realistic – possibly based on the woman below. The little gold stars placed strategically on the stone are perfect.

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Forest Lawn

Since I haven’t had much time to write while visiting, I thought I’d give you more Forest Lawn photo. These are from my visit in March (before I incurred the wrath of the goose).

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Forest Lawn

Sorry for the erratic posting. I’ve been on a writing tear of a different kind lately. So anyway, I’m up in Buffalo this weekend and will hopefully get some cool new photos. Until then, here are some photos from my previous trips to Forest Lawn.

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Evelyn’s Prayer

I can only imagine that she at some point must have uttered these words.

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A Grave Concern: Enjoy the hush

For those of you who celebrate it, Merry Christmas! For everyone, enjoy the quiet of the day.

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A Grave Concern: Melting angel

This is as closely as I was willing to get to photograph the little angel next to this monument. The angel does not look original to the family plot, and it startled me as I came around the monument.  Whatever material it is made of, it is not as strong as the monument beside which it sits, and the weathering on it has created an eerie illusion that the angel is melting.  You can kind of see it in the fact that one wing has slid slightly to be lower than the other.  The impact on the face is even more disconcerting.

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A Grave Concern: Bernadette’s angel

This is one of those angels that was not clearly in a specific family plot, but I’m sure it was meant to be, since the name on the front of the monument only reads “Bernadette 1899-1913.” I’m not sure why, but monuments with only first names on them strike me simultaneously as sweet and sad. Usage of only a first name conveys a level of intimacy, but after 100 years, the surname’s omission can be its erasure, making it that much harder for someone to confirm who Bernadette was. (Yes, many cemeteries have well-maintained burial records, but they can be damaged or incomplete, like those lost in East Cleveland Township Cemetery’s office fire.)

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