College Memorial Park Cemetery

College Memorial Park Cemetery Entrance by Finijo

I met Anj for lunch today in the Heights. We talked for about three hours, then she had to get back to Eric and the kids. I had my camera with me, so I went looking for an interesting place to take some pictures. While driving down W. Dallas, I ran across College Memorial Park Cemetery.

Baby by Finijo

Maybe because it was a quiet Sunday afternoon, the traffic was light both in and out of the cemetery. I was alone except for one homeless person, who scurried off as soon as he heard me enter the cemetery and one dog walker who was coming in as I was leaving. I couldn't believe that someone would let their dog use a cemetery as a toilet, but I guess green space is hard to find in the city.

Life and Death by Finijo

I thought it was strange to see a military headstone in a civilian cemetery, but then it occurred to me that it may have been a racial issue, since Memorial College Park is an African American cemetery that dates back to the late 1800's. It's somehow fitting that the tree has embraced the headstone after sharing the same ground since 1968. Richard Smith served in WWI.

Rock of Ages by Finijo

I thought the pairing of these two stones was interesting. I don't think they started out together, but now one broken stone rests on the larger, stronger stone, as if it is somehow meant to have the support.

Hand Scratched by Finijo

This headstone is so white compared to the other stones I saw, but the engraving is hand scratched into the stone, without dates or other information. It almost looks like graffiti, but there is nothing on the other side, so it must have been put there to mark Alonzo Fennell's final resting place.

Backyard Cemetery by Finijo

This house backs directly up to the cemetery. The homeowners can see the headstones from their windows, but they never put up a fence to distance themselves from the dead. They seem to be taunting the cemetery's inhabitants with their vibrant orange paint and patch of deep purple flowers.

New Development by Finijo

The neatly laid out graves of the Price family must have rattled and hummed while the luxury townhouses were being built. Hazel Price Jackson, was born in 1900, but it looks like she never made it to her spot in the family plot. Below, there is a sky blue townhouse with a fountain on its deck, and rather than shutting out the dead, they seem to be extending their yard out into the cemetery with a fence that you can see through. It's interesting to see how differently people deal with the dead.

Blue Townhouse by Finijo

The cemetery is almost unnoticeable as you drive down the street, but once your inside, it feels like the city evaporates. I found it surprisingly tranquil, even though it seems like the city is crushing in on all sides. For much of the time I was in the cemetery, a small orange and black butterfly seemed to be following me as walked through the paths and the underbrush. The overwhelming feeling I had during my brief visit was that of impermanence. The impermanence of the cemetery, because it seemed like it could disappear as quickly as the city disappeared when I entered its boundaries, but also the impermanence of us all.