At the Quaker burial ground, Long Sutton
'At the Quaker burial ground, Long Sutton' by Roger Iredale
Beyond the window in the grassy burial ground
the long-departed face the stars from which
they came. Each modest headstone, laid out
in total symmetry and modelled perfectly
to fit some ancient template, proclaims
the uniformity of all below. There are no crosses,
angels or exotic slabs. The wording tells it simply
as it was: name, date of birth and death.
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