Crushed by a Tree in 1784
The veil grows thin between the worlds as we approach Halloween, and I take some time to visit the older graveyards in the nearby towns. Unlike modern grave markers that only list names and dates, these stones contain poetry and in some cases a gruesome description of how the interred met their demise. I discovered this stone in Townsend Center Cemetery (Massachusetts). Poor Levi Gaschet, crushed by a tree, just one day after his 38th birthday.
Surprising stroke; Would expect that hour the mortal wound;
Yet did the Lord the tree direct to crush him to the ground.
Watch ye that live, for ye don't know
How near ye are to death or what may give the fatal blow
to stop your fleeting breath, death is in all the paths we tread
Mocks ev'ry art we try, outstrips our unavailing speedOr meets us as we fly
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