Christina A. Sharik

A SMALL TOWN CEMETERY

Ironton Memorial Cemetery, Ironton, Ohio
Photographs ©Copyright June 2004 by Anthony W. Pahl

Ironton Memorial Cemetery, Ironton, Ohio
Photographs ©Copyright June 2004 by Anthony W. PahlSmall town cemeteries
are well taken care of;

Small town cemeteries
are tended with love;

Here rest the town’s children
who died of the ‘flu

In ‘17 and ‘18 ~
when soldiers died, too.

Here lie the parents
and the grandparents dear

and the families of these
are still living here.

Mothers and Fathers
and daughters and sons

and infants and Veterans
killed by enemy guns…

A rise slopes quite gently
to where two cannon stand

and all that is missing
Is a bugle and band –

Row upon row
flags flutter and flap

You won’t find this place
on any big map.

We read names on the stones
and prayed for the dead

Some of the names
can no longer be read…

For the rains and the snows
have worn the names down

the stones are worn smooth
in this little town ~

Stones resting in shade
Each etched with a name

are ever so peaceful
and I’m glad that we came.

Author’s Note: Anthony Pahl, an Australian Vietnam Veteran, came to visit me in June 2004 and my friend and I took him to see the Ironton Memorial Cemetery and the Memorial Walk with the bricks. He made the comment that Americans take good care of their cemeteries, and honor their dead. He took the photographs that are included on this page.