Burial Grounds by Michael Keshigian

Graves grow lighter

with passing days,

the dead disintegrate

into the past

until they are dust.

Beneath giant oaks

that shed leaves,

burying memories,

the graves grow lighter

even as chill winds

layer the brittle foliage

to insulate the resting.

Yet the grounds remain cold,

the nights remain ominous

until the leaves are swept

against the markers,

carrying more dust,

and through it all,

the graves grow lighter.

Each passing day,

followed by stoic darkness,

stokes the graves to yield.

We visit,

distinct memories distort.

We yearn for glimpses,

but they only become lighter.

Michael Keshigian has been published in numerous national and international journals, recently including Edison Literary Review, Sierra Nevada Review, Oyez Review, Bluepepper, Tipton Poetry Journal, Pudding Magazine and has appeared as feature writer in over twenty publications with 7 Pushcart Prize and 2 Best Of The Net nominations. (michaelkeshigian.com)