A Lonely Grave
after Christina Rossetti
gray stone lies flat on the earth unmarked by any flower or tree
in the stillness I stand and wait for some sign of what is past
the wind stirs and I am cold darkness gathers like a fold
I drew from Christina Rossetti's use of simple, direct language and her exploration of themes such as death and loss, to create a poem that observes a solitary moment of mourning. Her characteristic subtle shifts and sparse punctuation guided my approach to line breaks and syntax.