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| photos of Green-Wood Cemetery © Marie Doucette |
For years I've wanted to explore Green-Wood Cemetery. When I lived in Kensington in the 90s, I used to pass by an entrance to the famous Brooklyn landmark, on my way to Prospect Park. My curiosity was forever piqued. This weekend, the gates were opened to the public for free. I had my adventure on Sunday, with maps in hand. It felt like I was about to embark on a treasure hunt!
With my very first vivid impressions, I was overwhelmed. Spectacular! Gorgeous! Beautiful! It's a wildly scenic place, more like an Olmstead park. Some stretches burst with light, bright with color and sunshine. Other areas are dark and eerie. The wind whistles through the treetops, rattling through the raspy fall leaves as they fall to the ground, evoking a loneliness that is palatable to the senses. It smells of decay. Most of my readers know my fondness for Halloween, Tim Burton, and my favorite movie, "The Nightmare Before Christmas." This is my Disneyland. Why do I love cemeteries? They're quiet spots; peaceful, holy places, that have sculptures and engravings. As Scouts, we created rubbings from the stone facades, capturing the lettering and reliefs on paper. Large grave sites are typically laid out amongst a vast landscape, fun to wander around and get lost in, or at least try to.
Students of history know that graveyards are portals to the past. Throughout Green-Wood are stark reminders about the brutality of life in pioneer America. Many plots have stones that read, simply, "Mother", "Father", "Brother", and "Baby". Mausoleums for the very wealthy revealed their share of heartache, too. This picture was taken from within the Niblo mausoleum. The famed man laid to rest was a Broadway producer. This statue marks the grave of a unnamed child. It had never been open to the public before the day of the tour.
As much as I like mausoleums and gravestones, I felt a special thrill entering The Catacombs. So atmospheric, like the underground crypts of Rome. Throughout the length of the corridor are round skylights which cast long, blue shadows. Tiny, orange electric lights dot the way. Awesome! It's the perfect primer for catching the Halloween spirit.
The grounds are sophisticated by design, full of scenic vistas. In this city of the dead, there are lanes and paths with charming street signs of wrought iron, mirroring the urban environment we live in. You'll need a map to find your way around, and you'll need more than a day to take it all in. A tour guide said he notices something different every time he works here. 
Another tour guide has a pet name for a giant tortoise called "Godzilla", that lives in the pond by the Niblo Mausoleum. She tried to conjure him for me, by calling his name and tapping her foot on the stone ledge that borders the pond. I tried, too, but had no better luck. She returned with binoculars, though I had already come to the conclusion that it was a yellow leaf floating on the surface. There's birds, squirrels, chipmunks, what have you. The lakes and ponds have fish, frogs, toads, and turtles.
I sat down to rest on the edge of the Morse family monument, wherein lies Samuel Morse, inventor of the telegraph. I was surprised to catch the scent of apples. I looked around to notice the ground covered with fruit fallen from a nearby tree. To be surrounded by such beauty, what a honor! I felt a lightness in the air. The worry we feel about death was lifted, replaced by a feeling of transcendence. I felt hope that I would be able to face my final moments with bravery, my soul filled with peace. I would return to the great vastness of the universe from which we all spring from. I felt happy and excited about the future. What a cheerful spot.
As I made my way back to the beginning, along the perimeters' winding boulevard, the main gate began to appear above the treetops. What borough tour be would be complete without Brooklyn Parrots? A large colony makes it home among the turrets which mark the main entrance to Green-Wood. Ooo, that's happy, too! I heard them before I saw them, a bright flock of green and yellow parrots, or parakeets, followed by a burst of movement. Several birds took flight from their large nests, putting on quite the display for the delighted spectators below. To find out more about them, you can take another tour, which I wrote about previously on this blog: http://mariedoucette.blogspot.com/search/label/Brooklyn%20Parrots
As much as I adore history and nature, I asked the guides about the particulars regarding religious practices and affiliations. There was a serious spiritual aspect to my tour, as you, the reader, may have already gathered. Green-Wood began as nondenominational grounds. After a time, a section was blessed for Christian burials, and then the entire cemetery was consecrated for Catholics. As I lay on my back enjoying the sun, on a small grassy knoll by The Catacombs, my mind wandered as I meditated on the surroundings.
What a perfect place for an Illuminator to spend an eternity ;)
