Harriet Honey Too Sweet to Die So Young 1867 1887 Peter Durbin His Hiccups Are Cured at Last 1784 1848 How do you do it Michael asked Dylan shrugged It’s easy I just tape some paper to a headstone and rub it with a charcoal stick No I mean aren’t you scared Dylan threw back his head and laughed Scared of what They’re dead Michael These words are all they have left I don’t think they mind me borrowing them And besides they should be honored I put a lot of time and work into these posters Here’s my latest
He nodded toward a rubbing tacked near the window I got it last Friday Abel Cain 1809 1872 A Brother to Us All Okay I admit they are pretty funny Michael said I never see epitaphs like that where my grandpa is buried That’s because he’s buried in the Cedarville Cemetery Those headstones are boring I do my grave rubbings in the old Sleep Haven graveyard by the highway I’ve got to hand it to you man you’re brave The dead scare me Dylan sat tall None of the dead in that cemetery scare me But there’s a living person there who makes my toes curl
Michael’s eyebrows rose Who Digger O’Malley the cemetery caretaker That old goat hates me He’s worried I’ll damage the headstones He’s run me off a few times And the last time he held his shovel to my chin and cursed Just thinking about Digger’s glaring eyes made pinpricks dance up Dylan’s spine Then doing his best Digger impersonation he said These headstones are old and frail You keep rubbing on them and they’ll crumble like stale biscuits Michael blinked Why do you keep going back he asked I told you it’s my hobby But isn’t it illegal to go into a cemetery at night Michael asked Dylan grinned It’s no big deal if you don’t get caught
