Old Salem Cemetery
The square marble white stones
lie flat in straight rows
in God’s acre: unity,
liberty, and love.
No gaudy spire
of a wealthy patriarch;
no spreading plot of a family
blessed with many offspring.
The bachelor, the single woman,
the infant, the child–each in a choir
that someday will rise up and sing
along with the married folks.
The brass bands gather
and play across the rolling grounds
each Easter morning: trumpet,
trombone, euphonium…harmony.
– Steve Shoemaker, Urbana, IL, Feb. 9, 2014
Views from the Edge 
The cemetery is an amazing site, and the history of Old Salem is so interesting. They were very forward thinking back then. I have heard that the Easter sunrise service is incredibley moving but have never had the courage to go. It is attended by thousands.
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