"Footsteps", a poem

Footsteps


If stones could speak what would they say?
Would the names etched upon the rock
be honored and revered, ill-remembered, or worse?
Weather-worn and entirely forgotten?  

One fine day in the summer of 2008 
Greenwood's air vibrated with the past.
William Curtis and spunky Fanny Pailthorp appeared
upon the hill overlooking Little Traverse Bay.


Other old friends joined them, smiling and waving,
Glad once again to enjoy rolling hills and gentle breezes.
Proceeded to greet and educate the crowd about life long ago.
How hard they had worked and how soon some had died.


As the million dollar sunset hovered above the lake and
softened the shadows of sadness and death, some people
lingered, honoring the souls who had helped carve a better life.
Pondered the road ahead and of footsteps hard to fill.


by Margaret Bednar

The above is my quick attempt to put into a poetic format an event we helped implement.  Greenwood Cemetery has hosted a few History Tours - the first year focusing on the early pioneers.  My daughter and husband were fortunate to be asked to participate and portray people who's names we only recognized from the street signs about the small resort town.  It was fun and we learned so much about the early days of Petoskey, MI.  Click HERE to see a blurb of that day and admire the beautiful setting where many people truly go to walk and watch the sunset over Lake Michigan - (short slideshow in upper right corner showing the beauty of the place).


Pondering the road ahead is usually clearer once we consider the past.  Let us hope we learn from the mistakes and the triumphs of those who have come before us.


The top photo is also my entry for "Partially Seen in January".  The poem was submitted to Poetry Potluck  theme: The Road Ahead.