A number of American writers were recently asked to participate in a project in which one would compose a six-word epitaph. The epitaph could be for anyone, even oneself.
This one by Joyce Carol Oates is majorly cool:
"Revenge is living well, without you."
That stopped me cold. Sometimes short compositions have such tremendous strength.
All this got me thinking of epitaphs, so I wrote:
"In the past lies the future."
He with whom I keep company composed:
"She was the death of me."
(LOL)
And my maternal cousin, a poetry teacher, rosily opined:
"Hopefully things will always get better."
Anyone care to take a stab at an epitaph?
Spike Miligan had the best one;
"I told you I was ill"
(http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/2359/tombstonewp3.jpg)
You can use this custom tombstone generator (http://www.jjchandler.com/tombstone/) to make your own (but you'll have to host the image yourself).
(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo336/backto86_bucket/tombstone.jpg)
Live Long, Love Well, Love Life.
"You can't get pregnant this way. . ."
"Honestly, I'd rather be in Philadelphia"
Pardon me for not standing up.
or
I fought Death, and Death won.
My wife's:
Taught Junior High School; Went Insane.
Quote from: ER on September 05, 2008, 03:34:29 PM
A number of American writers were recently asked to participate in a project in which one would compose a six-word epitaph. The epitaph could be for anyone, even oneself.
This one by Joyce Carol Oates is majorly cool:
"Revenge is living well, without you."
That stopped me cold. Sometimes short compositions have such tremendous strength.
All this got me thinking of epitaphs, so I wrote:
"In the past lies the future."
He with whom I keep company composed:
"She was the death of me."
(LOL)
And my maternal cousin, a poetry teacher, rosily opined:
"Hopefully things will always get better."
Anyone care to take a stab at an epitaph?
My personal one for my tombstone:
PLEASE GO SEE A MOVIE INSTEAD. :teddyr:
What I mean by this one is I wouldn't want the person to be mourning me ~ if they wanted to please my spirit, they should go see a movie and remember me like that. :smile:
Quote from: Derf on September 05, 2008, 11:16:31 PM
My wife's:
Taught Junior High School; Went Insane.
:bouncegiggle: :bouncegiggle: :teddyr:
Hey! How's the weather up there?
"Everyday, Same Meal
Worms, Worms, Worms..."
Enjoy your time above ground
Seriously
(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo336/backto86_bucket/tombstone2.jpg)
Always check you're burger for blood.
Not six words, but still a neat epitaph popular in the late nineteenth century:
"Stranger look as you pass by -
As you are now, so once was I.
As I am now, soon you shall be.
Prepare for death and follow me."
In at least one case, some wag scrawled beneath the epitaph:
"To follow you I'm not content -
Until I know which way you went."
Could be worse, could be raining.
(http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo336/backto86_bucket/tombstone3.jpg)
A few more real epitaphs -
Here lays the Kid
We planted him Raw
He was quick on the trigger
but slow on the draw
(Boot Hill, Arizona)
Here lies Anne Mann
Who lived an old maid
But died an old Mann.
(Bristol, England)
JOHN PENNY
Stranger, if in cash
thou art in want of any;
here dig six feet deep
and thou wilt find a penny.
(Liverpool, England)
ANNA WALLACE
The children of Israel wanted bread,
The Good Lord sent them manna.
Old clerk Wallace wanted a wife
and the Devil sent him Anna. (OUCH!!)
(Manchester, England)
and one of my favorites . . .
Under the sod and under the trees,
Here lies the body of Jonathan Pease.
But Pease's not here, here's only the pod.
Pease shelled out, and went to God.
(Bristol, England)
Always look for a guard rail.