An Urban Cemetery

This is Amorella amongst the flowers, the stone boxes, the saints and angels. Orndorff thinks this photo was taken at the Morumbi Cemetery in Sao Paulo, Brazil a relatively short distance from where he and wife/partner lived in Santo Amaro.

It is an interesting cemetery. The Dead are interred, so to speak. The space is rented out or leased, at least it used to be. I have a photo of the removal or replacement in place below:

It is interesting how the remains of the Dead are treated in urban areas. I’m sure there are books out there on the subject. Amorella wanted these pictures but to me not much of a ‘Halloween’ atmosphere is in the place.

My idea of a spooky cemetery is an old one with lots of overgrown trees and bushes as well as really old stone markers and monuments. There is nothing in these photos to give a sense of a nineteenth century romantic novel set, in part, in an ancient country cemetery.

The 2 November 09 issue of Newsweek has a ‘Religion’ article titled, “Two White Guys Walk Into a Bar,” By Lisa Miller (with Johannah Cornblatt), page 27 for those interested in such particulars. The focus is on the seemingly unending argument between faith versus reason. In the conclusion of the essay Ms Miller writes:

“We need urgently to talk about these things: ethics, progress, education, science, democracy, tolerance, and justice – and to understand the reasons why religion can (but does not always hamper their flourishing. This new conver—sation won’t be sexy, but let’s face it: neither is two white men in a pub sparring over God.”

Dead and living poets, writers, artists and musicians of every human culture have spoken on these subjects for millenniums. Name the art and if you search hard enough one or more of the subjects will be there. The remains in the Morumbi Cemetery no doubt spoke about such things when they were alive. Surely, they thought about such matters and whether they publicly or privately expressed them is their business.

In the Merlyn books these ever-serious subjects are substance of somewhat humorous discussion even yet, among the Dead be they Marsupial or Human. Dead people find more humor in their present world than the Living do in theirs. The reason for this is because the Dead are, as it were, looking out of the overtly grinning pumpkin rather than looking in.