I have visited the same village in South Devon on many occasions
It has a beautiful church which is much loved by those in the village
The graveyard is the quietest one that I have ever visited
It seems to be trapped in time and there is a feeling of total serenity
One grave has always remained with me and I think of it often
I discovered it on my first visit and have been fascinated ever since
It commemorates the short life of a girl named Dora
Who died in December 1916 aged only sixteen
One can even over one hundred years later feel the rawness of this tragedy
But what I find interesting is that the dates of her parents and siblings are also recorded
This act as an unseen timeline stretching over a large span of years
With the last recorded dates being well within living memory
It is a history of a family unknown to me carved in stone
I am haunted on each visit but am glad of my journey