The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1956-07-20

Fleecy white clouds floated
smoothly across the sky while a
black thunderhead seemed to be
building up in the west. Somberly
and without noise the crowd filed
from the church. wondered why
they were holding services on a
week day until l saw the dark
clothes of the pallbearers and
heard the weeping of the people.
listened and they wept in many
tones. Some were mothers weeping
for their children and some were
sons weeping for the parents and
their tears flowed like a rushing
mighty river. Some wept in a
high-pitched keening wall while
other moaned softly. Some wept
from their threats and other cried
out in heart break. Relentlessly
and with a measured tread, the
black-coated pallbearers bore the
casket onward. On and on they
marched and the weeping rose and
fell like the moaning of the waves
on nighttime beach. 1t was i'm
possible for anyone to avoid being
touched by the sight and sound of
so much grief and l hurried ahead
Of the pallbearers to the raw earth
of the open grave for / had a driv-
ing urge to see this man or woman
or child that caused the whole
world to weep without comfort.
They placed the casket on the
little stools and breathlessly 1
leaned forward as they started to
raise the top. Almost 1 looked
away for fear logged my heart
and / was afraid to look. l was
afraid to look on the face of a
loved one for 1 did not know who
was inside and l was almost sure
i would see my own face when
they raised the lid of the casket.
They rolled back half of the lid
and at first I thought / knew who
lay inside with folded arms. AT
first / thought it was a woman and
then ! knew it was man and then
it was only little child.
The people wept and prayed and
sang praises until my own heart
was touched and l wept and pray
ed and sang with them, for / knew
the man or woman or child who lay
before us had been cut off in the
midst of life and it all seemed so
useless that l wept even when l
didn't know the stranger who was
dead.
Willing hands closed the lid and
began to lower the casket into the
earth. Someone dropped a handful
of earth upon the lid and it ratified
like the dry bones in Ezekiel's
valley. The sound was magnified
a thousand fold and it seemed to
echo up and down the land and
the weeping increased until the
sound filled all the earth and my
ears could stand no more and /
thrust my fingers in them to keep
out this terrible sound of gieving.
Though I wept as loud as the rest
for this stranger, whose body was
returning to the dust from whence
it came.
/ stood there until they heaped
the earth high on the grave and
rounded it off smooth and great
burden seemed lifted from my
heart and l wanted to run and
leap and play for suddenly friends
and relatives were grieving no
more but were very happy. The
men lighted cigars and pipes and
cigarettes and the women told of
their dresses and the special food
at home. The men talked of their
crops and their businesses and the
world was a very happy place in
deed for everyone seemed to for
get in an instant, the body that
We had so recently grieved over
until our tears were endless.
Only l was left to grieve for this
stranger and l approached a man
and asked, who was the man that
we buried? He turned away and
would not answer and I approach
ed a woman and asked, who was
the woman that we buried?
And she laughed and walked
away. I walked up to a lit
tie child at, play, and asked, who