My Cemetery Friends: A Garden of Encounters at Mount Saint Mary in Queens, New York | Reviewed By Ephantus M. for Pacific Book Review

Renowned poet and novelist Vincent J. Tomeo takes readers on a journey to one of his favorite locations – the cemetery – in My Cemetery Friends: A Garden of Encounters at Mount Saint Mary in Queens, New York. This book details his first-hand experiences and observations in an area which many people today prefer to avoid.

Tomeo has spent over thirty-three years strolling around the quiet garden of Mount Saint Mary Cemetery, the final resting place of a wide variety of departed souls, including his mother and aunt. He once met a former fireman and bagpiper there, who, like him, saw the graveyard as a haven and a peaceful place to meditate. The bagpiper would go from grave to grave in remembrance of the departed, playing particular melodies for each one, especially to those who died while in the line of duty.

Tomeo gained knowledge, empathy, compassion, love, and peace of mind about each person he came across every day while meandering around the cemetery. It was also there that he wrote several excellent poems, one of which, “I Visited the Grave of Marine Michael D. Glover,” achieved international recognition. For him, there was a great and worthwhile narrative hidden behind every stone, one that should be honored. This book extends an invitation to engage with the graveyard’s connections, pleasures, and history, allowing you to see it from a fresh perspective.

Tomeo strikes me as not just a brilliant poet but also a daring thinker who boldly stands up on a subject which is seldom talked about. His book is an ode to all the dead buried at Mount Saint Mary Cemetery and to all those who offered the United States of America their final full measure of devotion in honor and duty. My two main takeaways from this experience as a reader are to find the best method to share other people’s joys and sorrows and to be thankful for the little life I have been given. The book is also infused with affecting poetry and photos that accentuate the subject matter within.

My Cemetery Friends: A Garden of Encounters at Mount Saint Mary in Queens, New York is a succinct yet informative read which brilliantly illustrates how, for a great number of individuals, visiting a cemetery can be a really meaningful and deeply personal experience. This is a book I wholeheartedly endorse; it will get you thinking about your own mortality, which will enhance your gratitude for the present and inspire you to live it to the fullest.