Kilmartin, Argyll

In the historic village of Kilmartin, Argyll, the kirkyard has a collection of 80 early Christian and medieval carved stones among its graves in their wonderful setting looking out over the valley to distant hills. But somehow among the ancient, the good and the great, the important sculptors and the iconic obelisks, this broken gravestone was more poignant than the rest

a toss
of the wind,
a movement
of earth -
broken stone
broken memory
broken dreams.
a stone flower
living moss
and lichen covering
the seams
of the fine carved arch.
who lies here?
which family grieved?
tears long dried
and the endless march
of life and death
takes it
in its stride.