I am not sure there is one coherent pattern to everything – maybe there is. But I do know that human beings tend to be attracted to inherent symbolism and truths. We look for patterns; they are often just below the surface. Some are quite mysterious to us and remain so. There are works of art we still don’t fully understand but are drawn too.
Today I want to share with you a photograph of a unique gravestone. What makes it unique is it’s location: it is the only known grave in my county (in a small town in Missouri) of a Revolutionary War Soldier. The story of William Baylis is quite fascinating in and of itself. But what struck me as interesting was the state of the grave marker and the background of the picture. To me it represented a deeper meaning about our relationship as Americans to our founding principles and ideas and the force of Nature (I mean that as nature in all aspects, including human nature). Note the man made components and the naturally occurring elements in the photo. Also, know that his grave is in a field that still has cattle ran in it.
In 1916, his grave was restored and a marker placed over his original headstone by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Since that time, periodic attempts to clean off the vines growing about or cut the saplings around his grave have occurred. While I was photographing the tombstone, I even took out my pocket knife and cleared some of the growth back. But, largely the grave site is forgotten. It is not in a very accessible place and is rarely frequented except by a few people who know where it is. I’m not sure if that is good or bad. Perhaps, in the long run, a little cleaning and restoration of a barrier is more profitable to its preservation than having an immediate access to it that is unguarded or watched. I am personally torn in that regard because I believe history should be available to any seeker; yet I also know not all seekers are benign. Unfortunately, some people just do not respect the sanctity of some things.
The Imagists 