A Memorial To The Unmarked Masses (A Short Poem About Glasgow Necropolis)

The grass grows thick and verdant here

Lovingly nourished by well lived years

These trees who's roots entomb bones

Echo the joy and grief once known

Though many a monument stands on this hill

There are many more buried still

Although their resting places may be unmarked

Their epitaphs were engraved on hearts

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Of the approximate 50,000 people buried in the Necropolis, only a fraction have their resting places marked. The masses who were buried here, were stacked six high in brick tombs. Our tour guide explained how they hope, eventually, to erect a monument to the unmarked masses. I was really moved by this, the people overlooked, who were still so dearly missed. The people who came to visit these unmarked spots, the echoes of the emotions felt here. The grass and trees, the continued life of those buried here, all they have become, and all they left behind.

Photos and poem by Calluna <3