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