Joe Haydon

Joe Haydon visits St John’s Cemetery every day. He doesn’t have any family buried there but is one of many regular dog walkers, a community of familiar folk who choose to use the safe and calm surroundings of the cemetery to give their furry friends some exercise.

Sadly, Joe suffered from depression a few years ago but still ventured out to the cemetery to walk his pet. There he noticed the amount of plastic and silk cemetery flowers that were blown all over the cemetery, scattered over the path, grass and where they are not supposed to be.

He took it upon himself to gather them, find an empty bit of the graveyard and start planting them to create his own little garden. 

This daily routine supported by other users of the cemetery helped with his recovery. It is his voice that be heard in the next poem, ‘Repurpose’ (written and performed by Donald Jenkins).