Grave Stone 10-27-2012

I took an autumn walk through West Cemetery in Litchfield, Connecticut, a historic graveyard filled with weathered headstones dating back centuries. What immediately stood out here was nature reclaiming the site: a mature pine tree had sprouted directly beside an old, leaning gravestone, its root system slowly pushing the slab forward. It made for a compelling study in local history and decay.

This black and white photograph frames an aged, mossy headstone resting at a tilt against the thick bark of a large pine tree trunk. Inscribed lettering weathered by decades of winter frost remains faintly legible on the stone face. Clumps of low wild foliage sprout at the base among pine needles, while additional historic markers stand softly out of focus in the background.