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Empty & Waiting are the Riverside Cemetery Benches

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I recently visited Riverside Cemetery for the purpose of conducting a scavenger hunt. While there, something else kept getting my attention. It was the cemetery bench. I'm not necessarily writing about the stone benches that are more prevalent today. I'm choosing to focus on the weathered, worn, and rusted benches that look like they'll turn to dust if you touch them.

There were several of these benches at Riverside, and two words kept coming to mind each time I would see one -- Empty and Waiting. Hollow and Lingering. These words might not seem to go together, I know. But they express my thoughts about the many souls that have used these seats. The living ones, and maybe even those of the ones passed on. The emptiness they were feeling. The yearning they had to see their loved one again, and possibly lingering in hopes of catching one last glimpse.

I consider myself a "picture taker," but not really a photographer, if you know what I mean. However, I think I captured something with these photos. It's a part of the cemetery even us taphophiles don't always notice. I hope you see it, too.








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Elizabeth O'Neal said…
Beautiful photo essay, Stephanie. It really does look like those benches are waiting...
June 17, 2010 at 11:55 AM
Gale Wall said…
Great job capturing another aspect of the cemetery.
June 17, 2010 at 12:49 PM
Jenny said…
You definitely captured something, Stephanie. Great photographic reporting! I could feel the loneliness.
June 17, 2010 at 4:46 PM
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SouthernGraves.blogspot.com

The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"

So I answered, "O Lord God, You know."

Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!' Thus says the Lord God to these bones: 'Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live...'" (Ezekiel 37:1-5, NKJV)