The taxi driver repeated it back. “You want to go to the Tibeau Cemetery?” He seemed confused and probably suspicious.
The previous day, I asked the innkeeper about the cemetery.
Someone who grew up in these islands told us about it and I was very curious.
Climate change. The innkeeper said, “You must have noticed since your last trip here, we are losing land.”
The cook overheard me ask, “Are people going to be upset if we’re down there taking a bunch of pictures?”
“We’ve had some trouble, you know.” She said, “They are stealing identities of the dead.”
“Oh, really?” I said, “I think that’s how Trump won the election.” She doubled over laughing.
Some of the dates on the graves were old.
But some of the ones in the water were as recent as the 1980s.
I saw a bone.
It could have been from an animal.
I thought I should take a picture of the bone because no one would believe me.
But it felt disrespectful, so I didn’t do it.
(no photo)
Photos by: Daniel Overberger and Nancy Winebarger