Sensing Crossbones: bodies in place

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About this project

Over winter 2025–2026, a group of eight volunteers at Crossbones Graveyard took part in a journalling activity exploring community wellbeing. Guided by prompts inviting curiosity about the site through the senses and body awareness, journallers reflected individually on their volunteering sessions. Together, they have generated a body of community research, tracking their interactions with the site through time.

At the outset of the project in late October 2025, journallers received a pack containing tape, stickers, and a range of drawing and writing materials, along with a set of instructions, a grounding exercise, and six prompt cards. The grounding exercise invited them to pause, notice their breath, and tune into their sensory environment. Each prompt was designed to gently guide reflection without prescribing how journalling should look, inviting journallers to write, doodle, or collage according to their preference.

The prompts were organised around six sensory and somatic lenses: body, scent, sound, tactility, vision, and cohabitation. Click here to view the prompts.

Journallers were encouraged to spend 5 to 20 minutes with their journal after their volunteering sessions, choosing whichever prompts felt most relevant or interesting that day. There was no expectation to engage with every prompt every time; instead, participants were invited to follow their own curiosity.

In February 2026, journallers returned their completed journals to the research team (Hannah Reeves and Casper Sanderson), who scanned and prepared them for the next stage of the project. Photocopied highlights from the journals were then brought to a collaborative collage session held in March 2026.

The session was an opportunity to come together, reflect on the project, and notice the connections between the journals that were beginning to surface through the pages. We worked together to compile a community zine, which you can view by clicking here.


Or click here for a screen reader-friendly transcript.

The cover shows the title “Sensing Crossbones: Bodies in Place — A Community Zine.” The words appear on torn pieces of paper arranged over a bright chalk and watercolour drawing of Crossbones Graveyard. The illustration includes a faint outline of industrial gates, a pyramid-like structure, a bare tree, and an evergreen tree. The colours are vivid and layered, giving a textured, hand-drawn feel.

Themes

Through the tactile process of zine-making—cutting, arranging, weaving fragments together—four closely related themes began to emerge:
  • Echoes – the past echoing through the present as awareness of the dead and the resurfacing of personal memories
  • Persistence – awareness of the passage of time through the unfolding of the seasons and continuity of the burial ground
  • Reciprocity – finding meaning and enjoyment in caring for the site and contributing to the community
  • Belonging – taking comfort and finding kinship in a familiar, shared sensory landscape

The journals themselves contained a rich mix of photography, collage, written notes, poetry, prose, and drawings, and the themes are expressed across these varied media.

To communicate the themes, we have:

  • compiled selected text fragments from individual journals into thematic poems
  • curated extracts from the journals into a visual gallery for each theme

You can read the poems and explore the galleries in the following sections.

Echoes

Echoes draws together moments in which the past breaks into the present through the sensory landscape of Crossbones. Journallers often described a profound awareness of the Crossbones dead or ‘residents’ below the surface, sparked by sensory input such as sound, temperature and scent. Feeling cold in the winter weather evoked empathy for the ‘poor souls dropped into their cold, cold graves,’ while the rumble of helicopters or reflections in nearby windows prompted musings on how time, technology, and the city have transformed around the burial ground. Alongside this awareness of the dead, personal memories surfaced: scents such as incense or rosemary prompted strong and sometimes uncomfortable personal recollections, as well as memories of loved ones. The breadth of responses shows that although there is a shared sense of the dead echoing through Crossbones, the past also erupts in deeply personal ways for those who tend to the site.

Page with faint watercolour stains in soft colours, with handwritten text at the bottom reading: ‘25. Then I remember a perfume I had experienced. It smelt like church incense. 26. Sending my thoughts to an ecclesiastical place, one may be right back to the contradictions of the garden’s original founder.
Open sketchbook with handwritten text on the left page reading: ‘Do you remembered me? How we used to be?’ and an abstract multicoloured drawing of a skeletal, flowing figure surrounded by swirling lines on the right page.
Textured page with a yellow sticky note reading: ‘hanging POEMS … words – washed away,’ beside two small abstract drawings in pink, orange, and brown.
Two abstract marker drawings on textured paper: the upper drawing shows a cone‑shaped form hanging from a red line, containing a spiral shape in brown and pink; the lower drawing is a rounded shape in orange, pink, and purple tones with a dark outline.
Hand‑drawn candle partly covered by a yellow sticky note reading: ‘invisible candles’ and ‘leave behind flames,’ next to a colourful abstract drawing of a rectangular form topped with three flame shapes.
Colourful abstract drawing of a candle shaded in yellow, pink, orange, and blue, with three flame‑like shapes at the top.
Abstract line drawing with colourful organic shapes and handwritten words including: ‘REVEAL my MYSTERY,’ ‘fly,’ ‘contained space,’ ‘hole,’ and ‘shell.
Scanned vertical pink, green, and white ribbons printed with the words ‘IN MEMORIAM,’ hanging beneath a decorative patterned strip, with the handwritten title ‘Ribbon GATES’ above.
Hand‑drawn sketch on pink textured paper showing an arched doorway, a window, and abstract geometric shapes outlined in black and red. A speech‑bubble shape in the centre contains handwritten text reading: ‘Who walked there then / who looked out of the windows.’ A thick black L‑shaped border runs along the left and bottom edges.
a scanned rosemary branch, taped onto a page with autumnal patterned tape. text reads 'rosemary for remembrance'
Collage page with a photograph of a garden statue surrounded by plants and red flowers, alongside handwritten text. The poem excerpt reads: ‘Praying I Mary Oliver. It doesn’t have to be the blue iris, it could be weeds in a vacant lot, or a few small stones; just pay attention…’
Page with faint watercolour stains in soft colours, with handwritten text at the bottom reading: ‘25. Then I remember a perfume I had experienced. It smelt like church incense. 26. Sending my thoughts to an ecclesiastical place, one may be right back to the contradictions of the garden’s original founder.
Open sketchbook with handwritten text on the left page reading: ‘Do you remembered me? How we used to be?’ and an abstract multicoloured drawing of a skeletal, flowing figure surrounded by swirling lines on the right page.
Textured page with a yellow sticky note reading: ‘hanging POEMS … words – washed away,’ beside two small abstract drawings in pink, orange, and brown.
Two abstract marker drawings on textured paper: the upper drawing shows a cone‑shaped form hanging from a red line, containing a spiral shape in brown and pink; the lower drawing is a rounded shape in orange, pink, and purple tones with a dark outline.
Hand‑drawn candle partly covered by a yellow sticky note reading: ‘invisible candles’ and ‘leave behind flames,’ next to a colourful abstract drawing of a rectangular form topped with three flame shapes.
Colourful abstract drawing of a candle shaded in yellow, pink, orange, and blue, with three flame‑like shapes at the top.
Abstract line drawing with colourful organic shapes and handwritten words including: ‘REVEAL my MYSTERY,’ ‘fly,’ ‘contained space,’ ‘hole,’ and ‘shell.
Scanned vertical pink, green, and white ribbons printed with the words ‘IN MEMORIAM,’ hanging beneath a decorative patterned strip, with the handwritten title ‘Ribbon GATES’ above.
Hand‑drawn sketch on pink textured paper showing an arched doorway, a window, and abstract geometric shapes outlined in black and red. A speech‑bubble shape in the centre contains handwritten text reading: ‘Who walked there then / who looked out of the windows.’ A thick black L‑shaped border runs along the left and bottom edges.
a scanned rosemary branch, taped onto a page with autumnal patterned tape. text reads 'rosemary for remembrance'
Collage page with a photograph of a garden statue surrounded by plants and red flowers, alongside handwritten text. The poem excerpt reads: ‘Praying I Mary Oliver. It doesn’t have to be the blue iris, it could be weeds in a vacant lot, or a few small stones; just pay attention…’
Swipe to view the Echoes gallery

You can listen to the Echoes poem below, or scroll down for the text version:

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Tap
Tap
Break into my silence
The substation
The Jubilee Line
The constant rattling growl
When I hear helicopters
I think how travel has changed over the past five centuries and how
the people buried here could never have imagined such things
Tap
Tap
Metal voices outside the wall
Her voice
Two voices
Where are you all?
I remember the emotion I felt the very first time I encountered Crossbones
I was overwhelmed with sadness and anger
for the people who had been used and abused throughout their lives
and showed so little respect at death
Drone
Voices
Trains
remember
Thousands of souls
dropped into their cold, cold graves
feel them here
I think of how our winters don't come near
those of times before industrialisation started
even in the early 1800s, the Thames would freeze over.
December's chill
Toes numb by the end
Nothing changes
Everything changes
who walked there?
who looked out of the windows?
Time stands still at the edge of the city
the boundaries of the garden become blurred
Mobile memories hanging there
to an unborn pauper child
A robin in and out of the cedar tree
blue tits flitting
scent of rosemary
It’s said that a robin is the spirit of someone who's passed, which is fitting for Crossbones
Rosemary for remembrance
shadows and light and colour flurry around my senses
Remembering my mother
who died quite young after a tough, sad life
and hoping she's at peace.
Even though I don't believe in an afterlife
I do believe that people leave a kind of spirit behind
and I feel some of her spirit at Crossbones.
Interlocking shadows
A gentle southerly breeze
Wind moving the tree branches
And skittering the leaves
Then I remember a perfume burning by the statue
sending my thoughts to an ecclesiastical place
and maybe right back to the contradictions
of the garden's original founder
I rejected Catholicism and all religion as a teenager
the scent of incense therefore upset me
and I had to move out of range
Church bells
Memories
Leaves are falling fast
Words washed away with
your possible pasts
The feel and smell of our own homemade
compost, in its various stages
takes me back to my grandmother’s garden
and makes me feel contented.
do you remember me?
how we used to be?
Vibrant blue sky
the harsh sound of a seagull soaring above
and the sound of a frog croaking
I feel some sadness at Crossbones, but above all,
empathy.
Your grief
Your space
Woven history
Memories and sounds reveal my mystery
R. I. P.

Persistence

Persistence brings together reflections on continuity, seasonal change, and the cyclical rhythms that shape Crossbones. Journallers marked the passage of time through descriptions of weather, changing light, cycles of plant life, and the activities of resident animals such as mating dragonflies. These sensory details highlight the endurance of the garden and the labour involved in tending it, from clearing fallen leaves to observing the slow transformation of compost into ‘a new earthy year.’ Alongside these natural cycles, journallers described private and community rituals, such as quiet moments of meditation, or attending the annual Green Man’s Wassail on the Twelfth Night, which brought anticipation and excitement for the year ahead. The shrines across the site appear in journals as photographs and drawings of the Redcross Mary shrine, the Mizuko Jizō statues, and the ribboned gates. Across their responses, journallers presented Crossbones as in continual flux as incremental changes accrued. Their responses suggest that persistence is experienced through natural cycles together with the ongoing human commitment to tending, witnessing, ritualising and returning.

Handwritten journal entry on speckled paper with a red ribbon banner reading ‘04.01.2026.’ Below it, the text reads: ‘A sunny but bitterly cold day with frost and temperatures that struggled to rise above freezing –4°C – –2°C,’ surrounded by small hand‑drawn snowflakes.
Collage of a person with their face and head covered in green paint, leaves, and red berries, with handwritten annotations reading: ‘GREEN MAN,’ ‘Veins eyes costumes,’ ‘do this forever,’ and ‘please.
Drawing of two leaves on textured paper, one large blue‑tinted leaf with a red oval and one smaller red leaf, with handwritten text on the left reading: ‘Now the leaves are falling fast.’
Three dried brown leaves attached to short stems arranged vertically on textured paper with light blue crayon shading; no visible text.
Close‑up photograph of a weathered, peeling surface in green, brown, and yellow tones, with handwritten text reading: ‘Mother nature’s decay produces some of the best abstract art.’
Two dragonflies perched on a wooden stick, one red and one pale blue‑grey, against tall green grass, with text at the bottom reading: ‘I hope I see their offspring this year.
Decorative gate covered with colourful ribbons, fabric strips, shells, flowers, and small ornaments, with handwritten text reading: ‘Our ribbon gates are so important to people’s feelings and memories.’
Hand‑drawn rosemary branch with green leaves and a blue flower on textured paper, with handwritten notes reading: ‘The Rosemary was flowering–,’ ‘can flower in response to a cold period,’ and ‘the flowers are so complex.’
Collage featuring a photograph of moss‑covered stones and a tiny snail, with handwritten text above reading: ‘What is this life so full of care we have no time to stand and stare.’ Notes beside the photo read: ‘Stones + moss’ and ‘Tiny snail!’ with a small red snail drawing. A sketch of a person standing under a large plant appears at the bottom left.
Watercolour drawing of a bending Deodar Cedar in reddish brown, blue, and purple on textured paper; no visible text.
Handwritten journal entry on speckled paper with a red ribbon banner reading ‘04.01.2026.’ Below it, the text reads: ‘A sunny but bitterly cold day with frost and temperatures that struggled to rise above freezing –4°C – –2°C,’ surrounded by small hand‑drawn snowflakes.
Collage of a person with their face and head covered in green paint, leaves, and red berries, with handwritten annotations reading: ‘GREEN MAN,’ ‘Veins eyes costumes,’ ‘do this forever,’ and ‘please.
Drawing of two leaves on textured paper, one large blue‑tinted leaf with a red oval and one smaller red leaf, with handwritten text on the left reading: ‘Now the leaves are falling fast.’
Three dried brown leaves attached to short stems arranged vertically on textured paper with light blue crayon shading; no visible text.
Close‑up photograph of a weathered, peeling surface in green, brown, and yellow tones, with handwritten text reading: ‘Mother nature’s decay produces some of the best abstract art.’
Two dragonflies perched on a wooden stick, one red and one pale blue‑grey, against tall green grass, with text at the bottom reading: ‘I hope I see their offspring this year.
Decorative gate covered with colourful ribbons, fabric strips, shells, flowers, and small ornaments, with handwritten text reading: ‘Our ribbon gates are so important to people’s feelings and memories.’
Hand‑drawn rosemary branch with green leaves and a blue flower on textured paper, with handwritten notes reading: ‘The Rosemary was flowering–,’ ‘can flower in response to a cold period,’ and ‘the flowers are so complex.’
Collage featuring a photograph of moss‑covered stones and a tiny snail, with handwritten text above reading: ‘What is this life so full of care we have no time to stand and stare.’ Notes beside the photo read: ‘Stones + moss’ and ‘Tiny snail!’ with a small red snail drawing. A sketch of a person standing under a large plant appears at the bottom left.
Watercolour drawing of a bending Deodar Cedar in reddish brown, blue, and purple on textured paper; no visible text.

Swipe to view the Persistence gallery




Persistence (audio):

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Persistence (text):

The scent and sight of the incense as it wafts up into the air
dancing and spreading in the breeze
vibrant colours
long autumn shadows
hands in gloves
falling leaves
We are waiting for the Green Man's blessing
perhaps waiting for the cold to lift
and the sun to rise higher in the sky
and the season to change
blustery showers
raindrops falling on the pond
leaves on the shrine
stones and moss
Cranes tower in the distance
but the plants, trees and shrubs
mask and cling to the ground
becoming part of the statues
scattered clouds
the odd spit, spit
pyramid broken
shells smooth
Leaves variegated yellow for weeks
have finally all flown away or floated to the ground
the long reeds from the rainwater pond
wave in the breeze
the tree bends whatever the season
a sharply cold day
with beautiful blue sky
another train rolls by
today the passengers are wrapping and carolling
I hear you giggle, Canadian girls
looking for the perfect photo on Christmas Eve
still a lot of green shrouding the bones
of those that are laid over the centuries
purple light in the garden today
bitterly cold with frost
sun lower past the solstice
as slowly the buds return
the wisp of incense burns on the shrine of the Green Man
Mother Nature’s decay we make amends
a new sense of self
a transition
new times
new opportunities
a new earthy year
Crossbones is endless
but we are now
and now we are here
and the sunset is bright
and the day is clear

Reciprocity

Reciprocity speaks to the mutual exchange between journallers and the garden, linking the labour of their volunteering activities with feelings of curiosity, aliveness, and sensory pleasure. Crossbones, the journallers suggest, offers calm and space for contemplation, while also inviting sustained, meaningful contribution: sweeping leaves, clearing litter, maintaining compost areas, or tending to plants. These activities presented opportunities to deepen connection, sharpen attention, and notice the garden’s subtle movements and inhabitants. Journallers described meeting visitors and educating them about the burial ground, noting that visitors often expressed gratitude for their volunteering work. The encounters journallers had while volunteering – with visitors, plants, wildlife, shrines, and the Crossbones dead – inspired a sense of shared presence and responsibility. The garden offers beauty, stimulation, calm, and connection, while volunteers practice their gratitude through acts of witnessing, passing on its stories, and the ongoing labour of maintenance and repair.

Shieldbugs nymphs with white dots on black exoskeleton, feeding on dried burdock. Text reads 'beautiful bugs in their skeletal livery'
Three small printed photographs on speckled paper: a robin with an orange breast perched on a mossy branch at the top, and two blue tits on thin branches below. No visible text.
Abstract red and black line drawing on textured paper with a yellow rectangle placed diagonally across the centre. Handwritten text reads: ‘always find a space HERE,’ with an arrow pointing to the word ‘HERE’ on the yellow paper.
Page with a photograph of a small pond surrounded by greenery and a concrete wall, with handwritten notes and doodles above and around it. Text reads: ‘Body always ~~~~~ to @Crossstones,’ ‘? why,’ ‘calm,’ ‘shared appreciation,’ ‘chats with people,’ ‘time,’ ‘outside,’ ‘their responses,’ ‘people say “thank you”,’ ‘interesting people,’ ‘always “something”,’ ‘rain in pond,’ and ‘STOP.’ A simple smiling face drawing appears near the top.
Colourful abstract drawing with arrows and shapes in red, green, purple, and yellow, containing handwritten words: ‘Southwark Cathedral Sunday Conversations,’ ‘Bird,’ ‘Train window Bridge,’ ‘voices,’ ‘Nature’s Envelope,’ ‘Sound therapy,’ and ‘EMPTY ME.
Collage page with a photograph of a garden statue surrounded by plants and red flowers, alongside handwritten text. The poem excerpt reads: ‘Praying I Mary Oliver. It doesn’t have to be the blue iris, it could be weeds in a vacant lot, or a few small stones; just pay attention…’
Abstract drawing of tall angular shapes resembling stylised plant stems, intersected by flowing lines, with handwritten words in coloured ovals: ‘Silent Shard,’ ‘feel,’ ‘BE FREE,’ ‘Breeze,’ and ‘Empty my head → Breeze Bleed.’
Shieldbugs nymphs with white dots on black exoskeleton, feeding on dried burdock. Text reads 'beautiful bugs in their skeletal livery'
Three small printed photographs on speckled paper: a robin with an orange breast perched on a mossy branch at the top, and two blue tits on thin branches below. No visible text.
Abstract red and black line drawing on textured paper with a yellow rectangle placed diagonally across the centre. Handwritten text reads: ‘always find a space HERE,’ with an arrow pointing to the word ‘HERE’ on the yellow paper.
Page with a photograph of a small pond surrounded by greenery and a concrete wall, with handwritten notes and doodles above and around it. Text reads: ‘Body always ~~~~~ to @Crossstones,’ ‘? why,’ ‘calm,’ ‘shared appreciation,’ ‘chats with people,’ ‘time,’ ‘outside,’ ‘their responses,’ ‘people say “thank you”,’ ‘interesting people,’ ‘always “something”,’ ‘rain in pond,’ and ‘STOP.’ A simple smiling face drawing appears near the top.
Colourful abstract drawing with arrows and shapes in red, green, purple, and yellow, containing handwritten words: ‘Southwark Cathedral Sunday Conversations,’ ‘Bird,’ ‘Train window Bridge,’ ‘voices,’ ‘Nature’s Envelope,’ ‘Sound therapy,’ and ‘EMPTY ME.
Collage page with a photograph of a garden statue surrounded by plants and red flowers, alongside handwritten text. The poem excerpt reads: ‘Praying I Mary Oliver. It doesn’t have to be the blue iris, it could be weeds in a vacant lot, or a few small stones; just pay attention…’
Abstract drawing of tall angular shapes resembling stylised plant stems, intersected by flowing lines, with handwritten words in coloured ovals: ‘Silent Shard,’ ‘feel,’ ‘BE FREE,’ ‘Breeze,’ and ‘Empty my head → Breeze Bleed.’

Swipe to view the Reciprocity gallery

Reciprocity (audio):

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Reciprocity (text):

Crossbones
the place I go
to cut off my moments
tough
meditative
soothing
water in the pond, seems like music
droplets of rain on leaves
sparkling like jewels
empty
my
head
I am constantly running my hands along the structure of the Goose Wing, which still seems alive to me.
order
structure
room for thinking
smoothness of the wood
feels gentle and reassuring
the gardeners have been working
chopping the hops
sweeping up the leaves
lining the mulch pits in the compost area
there are always odd jobs to do
litter picking
cobweb clearing
and even animal waste
to be removed
They are all worthwhile jobs and make me feel I am contributing to the wellbeing of the garden. That is my reward.
cleared of weeds and dead plants
the colour in the garden is more vibrant, more precious
the mulch mission
the leaf barrow
the sound of the rake on the cement
a bee connecting with our grey willow
a tiny life smiling
Today I saw a robin together with sparrows and a female blackbird, all enjoying the compost heap
a little darting movement out of the corner of my eye
was it wren, who I’d been hoping to see?
no, it was a little London sparrow, so pleasing
my heart gave a little leap
people walking past animate the spaces
at the corner of our vision
we have visitors, many of whom were visibly moved
from America
Italy
Spain
Scotland
as well as England
some by chance, others having made a special journey
We ask and hope
that they will spread the word
about Crossbones
For a short while I was alone there
just me and the wind
and the plants
and the embroidered flag
sense of calm
shared appreciation
a soft, gentle, stroking sensation
Crossbones
here we are always
it never leaves you
safe space for the long gone
and those who come today
Thank you

Belonging

Belonging frames Crossbones as a source of comfort and connection, articulated through intergenerational kinship and the familiarity of the sensory landscape. Journallers presented Crossbones as a place where recurring sights, sounds and scents – raindrops sparkling on leaves, the rattle of the gate chains, the rhythm of passing trains, the scent of Coronilla Valentina at the entrance – produce a sense of belonging to the landscape. Community shrines (‘our ribbon gates’) and familiar animals (‘our robin’) appear repeatedly, cohering observations made by different observers on different occasions. Moments of connection were documented as warm conversations with visitors, sharing tasks with fellow volunteers, chatting over cookies and under umbrellas. Journallers highlight a strong sense of community, while also acknowledging that their experience of this is mediated by their specific identities and histories.

“Hand‑drawn sketch of three elongated figures outlined in blue with red facial features and legs, walking toward the right across a speckled paper background. The figures suggest a woman-goose hybrid.
“Line drawing of a Mizuko jizo statue with closed eyes wearing a robe, with a small red knitted hat attached to the top of the head on speckled paper.
“Minimalist line drawing on speckled paper showing the faces of a Mizuko Jizo and the Redcross Mary shrine, one, with simple curved lines suggesting calm expressions.”
Mixed‑media collage on textured paper with two leaf‑shaped cutouts showing branches and red berries. A small yellow note in the centre contains handwritten text reading: ‘Shells, smooth, pyramid / broken … my candle.
European robin with an orange breast perched on a wooden surface, with tangled branches and green leaves in the background. Text reads 'Always happy to see our robin'
Small green fairy figurine with leaf‑like wings placed among soil and plants in sunlight. Text reads 'I remember when I saw this figure, it made me so happy'
“Hand‑drawn sketch of three elongated figures outlined in blue with red facial features and legs, walking toward the right across a speckled paper background. The figures suggest a woman-goose hybrid.
“Line drawing of a Mizuko jizo statue with closed eyes wearing a robe, with a small red knitted hat attached to the top of the head on speckled paper.
“Minimalist line drawing on speckled paper showing the faces of a Mizuko Jizo and the Redcross Mary shrine, one, with simple curved lines suggesting calm expressions.”
Mixed‑media collage on textured paper with two leaf‑shaped cutouts showing branches and red berries. A small yellow note in the centre contains handwritten text reading: ‘Shells, smooth, pyramid / broken … my candle.
European robin with an orange breast perched on a wooden surface, with tangled branches and green leaves in the background. Text reads 'Always happy to see our robin'
Small green fairy figurine with leaf‑like wings placed among soil and plants in sunlight. Text reads 'I remember when I saw this figure, it made me so happy'

Swipe to view the Belonging gallery

Belonging (audio):

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Belonging (text):

Bee buzzing drowsily around the entrance
finding its home in the drystone wall
trains roll around in the background
languages of tourists
materials of the city
background to our thoughts
One of my favourite sounds: the chains rattling on the main gate
it is very familiar to me and somehow gives me comfort.
As I'm coming into the Golden Gates, I do my little smile meditation
let the breath go, then as it draws in
let it lift the corners of my mouth
I go in smiling.
nature's envelope sound therapy empty me
a moment to breathe in the silence
see the Coronilla Valentina in bloom
and hope to get the full fragrance soon
Sometimes there is a chatter of wardens and visitors
it's a lovely sound of people interacting.
conversations under umbrellas
chocolate chip cookies
the church bell at 1pm
The trains come through every couple of minutes
but we never notice their regularity at Crossbones.
Heard the sound of a helicopter
and felt like it was something
outside our gardening bubble
It couldn't touch us.
nature’s shroud
the scent of baby
heart softening in my very chest
I suppose I like the feeling
of having made the space ‘mine’ in some way
feeling, in a very small way
responsible
for the continued existence and change
who comes to Crossbones and leaves their traces?
Coming from a working class background
I am always drawn to the ‘lower orders’
which history never really tells us about
I feel an outsider kinship with them.
our robin
our ribbon gates
feelings and memories
part of the undergrowth
It's a special place, there's nothing else quite like it
a space where people
who might not otherwise hang out
briefly come together to work
and enjoy each other's company
at the same time
things happen that can exacerbate my sense
of aloneness or outsiderness
It is a good space, but not a perfect one.

Acknowledgements

Huge thanks to Michael Church, Caroline Grimshaw, Stephen Mugford, and all of our journallers for their contributions to this project.

The project was based at Birkbeck, University of London’s School of Social Sciences, led by Hannah Reeves (Research Fellow) with support from Casper Sanderson (Research Communication Assistant).

This project was generously funded by the Wellcome Trust [228089/Z/23/Z] via Birkbeck’s Institutional Funding for Research Culture.