The book Exploring the Big Bend Country (by Peter Koch and June Cooper Price) describes the cemetery in the border town of Lajitas as a “poor man’s cemetery.” The authors go on to state:

“The graves in the Lajitas cemetery are mostly simple mounds covered with a layer of heavy rocks. Here and there a wooden cross is held in place – almost – with blocks of heavy limestone.”

At this particular grave, the sun had baked the white stars completely out of what was left of the flag as it flutters itself into nothingness above the grave of one of the poor men of the border.

Lajitas, Texas

photographed 1.20.2013