Horses and Death
I was walking down Lordship Lane in Dulwich today and as I was walking, I saw a funeral procession. The coffin was drawn by 4 horses down the main high street. It has a wreath of flowers that spelt out "SON".
The coffin carrying carriage (I'm sure there's a proper name for it, please let me know if you know) was black and decorated in silver. The two drivers (again, offical name?) were all in black and even had stove pipe hats on. They had the appropiate counternance as the horses clip clopped along the tarmac. There was no music except street sounds of cars and traffic.
I felt like stopping in the middle of the pavement and removing my hat. I felt like bowing my head and paying respect to "SON". But I didn't have a hat. I was also just crossing a road, so I couldn't stop there either. I did bow my head though. Ever so slightly.
Black hearses followed the carriage. From my bowed head position I glanced at the cars and the only one I could see was empty. I raised my head again and didn't look back. By the time I reached Sommerfield they had passed and I was away.
It was only when I reached the Post Office did I think how sad it was that "SON" was written in flowers, reminding me of the short short story by Hemmingway:
For sale: Baby shoes, never worn.
5 comments:
Hearse - the carriage/vehicle carrying a coffin.
I always thought hearse refered to cars!
What's the name of the vehicle to carry mourners?
Weren't none of them motor ve-hi-cles in my day young man. Only hosses an carriage fer carryin them dead folks, an we calls them hearses.
Don't know what accent that was.
No idea. All I can think of is a solemn procession of cars.
Marvellous story, isn't it? Certainly much better than 'For Whom The Bell Tolls'...
I've actually never read that one. For whom does it the bell toll?
Did you know he wrote while standing up? It's the only way he could do it apparently.
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