Art of Poetry’s Betty O’Hearn reads the poem written by Brenda Smith at the March 18, 2017 event at Hickory Museum of Art. Photo courtesy of Roger and Ginny Sanford.
Brenda Smith
BROKEN BROKEN BROKEN BROKEN
After “Revelations” by Noelle Rassmussen
Dead and forgotten,
abandoned, neglected, leaning
so many dolmens in the field
Where are they now?
Spirits still hovering?
Dust, dirt, worms?
Old markers, their bodies
nourishing new life
casting shadows
shading wildflowers
stirring genetic memory
objects for a game
Leapfrog through the centuries
misspelled, misshapen letters
names echoing back through time
Descendants now living gaze on
wondering who was it
that left your marker so bereft
wars, hard times, sickness– all
march on into new springs
refreshed grass, tiny bluets
waving in the breeze
whispering with the wind
No, no we’re still here
Some memory of us
lives on, leans on in
this forgotten field.
Art of Poetry at the Hickory Museum of Art 
Brenda, This reminds me of the extensive damage St. Louis suffered recently from vandalism at a Jewish cemetery. Muslims came out and helped right monuments that were tipped over. (Some were very heavy and machinery had to be hired.) A little girl from Florida sent pretty rocks she had painted. Many people donated money to repair damaged grave markers. In short, the vandalism inspired a wave of goodness from something horrid.