Gravin’ Lunatic
Moravian Cemetery

Staten Island’s Moravian Cemetery has it all–death heads and winged soul effigies on centuries old headstones, intriguing epitaphs, beautiful angels, heartbreaking modern-day memorials, lush green overgrowth, gorgeous trees, peace… quiet. Meandering through its paths in Autumn is the stuff that Cemetery Season is all about.

Leaves are turning

I found this sculpture I hadn’t seen on previous visits and was totally smitten.

Fear not the night thy son is awake with the star? Can’t make it all out…

A Maple tree’s foliage is like fluorescent

Though the male angels usually are not that exciting, this one is a favorite in the cemetery.

There were so many 9/11 victims I noticed… so many spouses left alone as shown by the blank half of the headstone. 💔

Just a dead pigeon laying about the profundity

The Ray Bans are in the mausoleum…

This looked like a marijuana plant that got outta hand.

You can’t take your books with you

Fallin’

A car crash took this beautiful music teacher’s life. Her mausoleum was packed with mementos.

After watching the zany duck and geese interaction in the pond, I noticed a headstone for a duck named Raptor.

Raptor’s placard read If Love Alone Could Have Kept You Here You Would Have Lived Forever

The earliest headstones are closest to Richmond Road by the chapel

Affliction sore long time he bore / Physicians were in vain / Till God did please to give him ease /And free him from is pain

Stop reader stop let nature claim a tear/ To memory scared and to nature dear… can’t read the rest

1776. Anno Dom.

A beautiful day of graving in Staten Island. Manhattan, you’re next.