O Grave, Where is thy Victory?

Nikon D2Xs with an AF Nikkor 28-80mm f/3.3-5.6 G lens at 66mm. This is a splendidly cheap kit lens from the dying days of film cameras.

Whilst on the subject of death, I have to observe how jolly it has become. When I was young, it was characterised by lots of stone slabs and chippings, with occasional black iron chains surrounding the grave in garlands, and the odd aluminium flower pot with holes you could get your fingers stuck in if the grown-ups lingered over-long clipping round the edges and scrubbing the birdshit off the inscription. Now it has been cheered up with brightly coloured plastic things in the shape of flowers and carriage lamps, and circular turbo fans that whizz round madly in the breeze. Adjacent to this grave there were two empty milk cartons suggesting a recent picnic.

So if you feel inclined to ask, 'O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?' the answer might be in a shipment of plastic novelties sent half-way round the world in a container ship to liven up visits to the cemetery in case no flower vases are in situ, or there are no snails to be found and crunched underfoot.