Text by Slater, Copyright 2021
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Lonely Nights
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Growing up in a big city, you are never really alone. I would often walk the streets of my neighborhood at night when I couldn’t find comfort in my home. I would wander to the cemetery a few blocks away from my parents house, hopping the fence to reach the quiet of the sleeping graves. The cemetery by my parents house wasn’t a big one, but it took up a whole block and has been open since 1749. It is owned by a big landowner’s daughter originally for the use of burial grounds to the landowners family. However, most of the old Fishtown natives are buried there. Walking through the tombstones, you can almost feel the memories of the people around you.
The peace and quiet I found there really saved me when I was younger. I would take all my racing thoughts and worries and whisper to whoever was resting that wanted to listen. At home I didn’t feel like I could voice how I was feeling without judgement but with those graves, I could talk for hours. I’ve been back to the cemetery twice since I’ve moved away from my parents place and it has stayed the same. Even though I’ve changed and my neighborhood has changed with it, the cemetery stays the same; lonely and beautiful just how I always remembered it.
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About The Author: Slater is a 21 year old dancer at Cheerleaders Gentlemen’s Club in Philadelphia. This is her first contribution to Tony Ward Studio.