Old Cemeteries - Gardens of Stone

I love old cemeteries. Amidst all the sadness they represent, there is also a sense of peace and solitude. They’re rich in history and tell wonderful and amazing stories. I especially love the way the memorials, both grand and insignificant, display the emotions of loss and grief in such beautiful ways. I guess this classifies me as a taphophile but to appropriate General Patton’s remark I can only say, “God help me, I do love it so.”

I sometimes refer to cemeteries as “gardens of stone”. This comes from a 1987 movie Gardens of Stone based upon a book of the same name. It’s about a group of soldiers serving in the “Old Guard” at Arlington National Cemetery during the Vietnam war. For them, the cemetery is a garden, a garden of stone. For some reason, that simple phrase has always stuck with me. Somehow, it seems very fitting.

Click the "Click Here For More Information" for the full blog post where I discuss a few of my old cemetery photos.