The Fox at the Cemetary

Submitted by: Anne Wagner, Berks County, PA For probably ten years I have been working as a member of various groups to try to find identities for the thousands of unidentified persons who have been found dead throughout the country. Through this I was asked to meet a reporter at what was called “Potters Field” to get pictures taken for an article. I have never been there nor had the reporter but the local historian told her that this is where they buried the Unidentified and the poor in the county and she wanted to get a picture of me with a stone that says JANE DOE. When we arrived we found an open empty plot. It was saddening. As I walked around looking for some signs of markers an overwhelming feeling came over me. It was like I was feeling all the emotions that a person who was buried without someone caring about them would have. I felt strongly that I had to do something to get these souls some recognition and bring some sense of someone cares about these people to the cemetery. A Fox walked out of the trees and just kind of sniffed the ground and stood in a spot. I knew I was way too far away to get a good picture but I aimed my camera and shot towards it anyway. While we were back to the cars getting ready to leave a huge turkey buzzard came out of no where and circled the cemetery and over our heads and off it went. When I got the pictures off the camera I blew up the one with the Fox to see how clear I could actually get it and what I saw in the background was startling. I turned around and went back because I felt I had to go back by myself and just sit and feel. I took a few more pictures. I was drawn to a tree on the far side and photographed that as well. The images I saw in the trees and bushes were not my imagination. Everyone I showed the pictures to saw the same things.