Day Eight & Thursday Doors, 8/4/21: Cemeteries

• Manja Maksimovič

Yes, yes, I’ve posted today already, but that was for bestia’s birthday, and these are cemetery doors for Thursday Doors and a villanelle as spoken by a dead loverman for NaPoWriMo.

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Prompt 8: “Today, I’d like to challenge you to read a few of the poems from Spoon River Anthology, and then write your own poem in the form of a monologue delivered by someone who is dead.” 

Like some others, I was also unable to access the Spoon River Anthology from Gutenberg here in Italy, but I got it from somewhere else. After a brief browse I decided to write a villanelle without the rhyming pattern and with a little help from two men, listed below the poem in case you need help.

Loverman 

Each man kills the thing he loves.(*)
I wish I could make a decision.
“Who shall I say is calling?”(**)

is the first question they ask.
I have had many and know it,
each man kills the thing he loves,

but I’m still getting my fill.
Sorry, not ready to kill. Or love. 
So who shall I say is calling?

Messy business, both, loving and killing.
Why can’t we just get along? Really,
each man kills the thing he loves?

I’m tired of telling a silly, albeit
convincing story each time I hear:
“Who shall I say is calling?”

And now the time has come
and I’m deader than my deadest lover:
Each man may kill the thing he loves,
so why it is I who is calling?

(*) from The Ballad of Reading Gaol, by Oscar Wilde
(**) from Who by Fire, by Leonard Cohen

Today’s dead man’s monologue as the poetry task has turned me away from my current door series. I still have the last part of Torre Alfina doors to post but they will wait. Instead – cemeteries.

Before I show you a selection of my cemetery doors and gates, an experiment, the first of this kind on my blog:

Here it is, a detail from Žužemberk cemetery in Slovenia. The gate says “Close!”

And here are the rest of the doors and gates as spotted in cemeteries in Rome and Talamone in Italy, and in Piran, Ljubljana and an assortment of small towns in Slovenia. I didn’t do it on purpose, but Slovenian cemeteries are lined roughly from the west of the country to the east. Notice how at first the photos are sunlit, then they get murky and downcast in the centre around Ljubljana, and it’s back to sunlight in the east. But the first five are from Italy where it’s sun all the way, even in death.

  • The old cemetery for non-Catholic foreigners, the sign says.
  • This cemetery is a thing of beauty. Taken on April 1st years ago.
  • Not that Andersen. But Shelly and Keats are indeed buried here.
  • And besides, it offers a great view of the Pyramid of Cestius. Yes, Rome has a pyramid.
  • This is Talamone in Tuscany by the sea. I’m quite proud of this find.
  • A hop to Slovenia and a little cemetery in Bertoki.
  • A magnificent entrance to the Piran cemetery.
  • The view in.
  • Once in, you meet this cheerful sight. Piran is near Italy and it shows.
  • A memory from Nova vas above Dragonja. Her father was our guide. While he was telling us the history of this cemetery and church next to it, she was slightly bored but kept herself busy without any gadgets.
  • A stairway to the cemetery in Žužemberk (the same gate as in the first split screen photo).
  • They have a candle-o-mat there. Really. Slovenians are big on candles.
  • This is what cemetery means for me ever since I was little. Žale cemetery in Ljubljana, about half an hour walk from my parents’ house in straight line.
  • Right there, a coffin-shaped door.
  • Also there. It could be argued that every grave is a door, but this grave really has one. Plus blackberries.
  • Italian military section of the Žale cemetery. So many crosses.
  • Mekinje near Kamnik has a couple of rather grand cemetery doors.
  • This is the second grand Mekinje door.
  • A six-point-star chapel. We were more used to the five-point star.
  • Amore in Pertoča, contemplating.
  • As for me, I prefer these doors just opposite Pertoča church and cemetery. Especially since this is an organic product shop by Turman homestead / Turmanova kmetija.

For Thursday Doors challenge hosted by Dan at No Facilities

and for:

NaPoWriMo 2021 Button with black background

This day in my NaPoWriMo history (2019):

(Written for my dog’s birthday. See my previous today’s post.)

K9

“Can I?” Nein,  
you cannot.

“Cats nine, how many lives have I?”
Let’s not find out.

My best friend
is my generation:

six dog years  
is 40 to 50 in human.

Comic for nine,
Clever for ninety-nine.

Kind, questioning,
curious, crazy.

Fonzie, bestia,
cane, ciccio.

“Can I eat it?”
Yes, you can.
But you may not.

29 thoughts on “Day Eight & Thursday Doors, 8/4/21: Cemeteries”

  3. Every grave is indeed a door: I love your post on cemeteries! I tend to visit them wherever in the world I happen to be. Why go to the Louvre when you can go to Père-Lachaise?😉 In all seriousness, these are wonderful photos–a respite for my tired eyes this evening. Kudos for tackling the villanelle and happy birthday to Bestia!

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  6. First off, Happy Birthday to the Fonz. I love the doors you’ve brought us today, Manja and I really like your photography. The doors are beautiful but your photos add a very nice touch.

    Liked by 1 person

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  9. Love your use of the slider and those next two photos–the one with the magnificent gate and the wisteria (at least I think that’s what it is.) I agree with you about that last one. Sounds like the sort of place I’d enjoy.

    janet

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  10. Wow, such beautiful doors. Love the circle patterned gate, and your capture of the two brown doors above each other.That’s a startling line in the poem that “each man kills the thing her love!” I hope not! A nice view from the garden the man has:) Aw always, a beautiful post, Manja. Jesh

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  13. Pingback: Day Eight & Lens-Artists PC: Happy K9, bestia! – An Embarrassment of Riches

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