Rosecrans 8: Joyful Imagination

Rosecrans 8

Journal Entry for Sketch #8
May 4th- Two Persian War Dead

I make another visit to the grave of Brian M. Kennedy. There are now three small American flags placed on the grave near the tombstone. The flowers are gone. At the base of each flag is a placemat with the pole from the flag stuck through it, anchoring it in place. On the placemat is a quote from President George W. Bush:

“Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.”

Sept. 11, 2001

I also visit the twin graves of Jay T. Aubin and Thomas M. Adams again. There are fresh flowers on both sides of each gravestone. The Adams grave has grass germinating. The Aubin grave has instead the original sod replaced. A smaller American flag is also on the Aubin grave-the older of the two by one day.

I then come to the grave of Staff Sergeant David G. Benavente, L Company 3rd Battalion 3rd Marine Division from Guam. He died November 23, 1965 at 30 years of age, probably in Vietnam. “PH” on bottom of stone indicates he was awarded the Purple Heart, probably posthumously. A second grave sits nearby with no war listed. Corporeal James A. Jones, Marine Corps from New York dead at 18 December 1, 1965, probably in Vietnam.

Finally I drive to the other side of the cemetery where I am lead to the graves of two new Iraqi War dead, just buried.

Jorge Alonso Gonzalez
US Marine Corps
Iraqi Freedom
10/25/82-3/23/03
KIADied at age 21.5 on 5th day of war

and

Devon Dimilo Jones
US Army
Iraqi Freedom
“beloved son and brother”
KIA PU2
9/4/83-4/4/03Died at age 20.5 on 17th day of war

I see this is where I am to sketch today. As I sit down by these graves to start drawing, a white man and black woman arrive in a blue Chevy pickup. I assume they are here to mourn these dead since the black woman proceeds to put water in the flower vases by the new gravestones. But, as they talk I see that they are actually here to honor the dad of the white man buried elsewhere. The woman talks on and on, then she suddenly notices these graves are from the Iraq War. The man figures out the men were only in their early 20’s when they died. The woman next notices a small volunteer tomato plant growing near one of the graves probably sprouted from someone’s discarded lunch. She says she is amazed that the plant actually has tomatoes growing on it. She tells the man she could take tomatoes home and use their seeds to start new plants. They leave without the tomatoes.

I finish my sketch and also leave the seeds behind.

>> Next: Journal Entry for Sketch #9

6 thoughts on “Rosecrans 8: Joyful Imagination

  1. A vision of leaving behind a better world.
    Tree of life supported by the gift of a gentle warrior. Sweet thoughts of a balanced world. A gift to be shared within the bleakest of places. The beginings of a manifestation.
    This also is being birthed through the crown chakra the being almost appears to carry the wounds of a Caesarian birth… an unnatural yet all too common modern beginning. Jo

  2. “Visions” I can’t tell if the central figure is imagining a better world with the tree of life, birds singing and people and animals playing or if the central figure is actually thinking of destroying such a world. in the second case the tree could be an atomic bomb blast (with shrapnel flying out) to destroy a peaceful world. I’m leaning toward the second one since the central figure appears to have an evil grin and the man withe the dog is armless

  3. It is barely morning with the first bird singing and the moons setting. The wolf has mated with the young woman and she is ecstatic. While the moment is prescious we do not know what will be born here or what care will be required to make it good.

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