Vincent J. Tomeo’s reflective work celebrates human connection, remembrance, and the quiet wisdom found along cemetery paths
(Isstories Editorial):- Los Angeles, California Jan 28, 2026 (Issuewire.com) – My Cemetery Friends: A Garden of Encounters at Mount Saint Mary in Queens, New York by Vincent J. Tomeo is a contemplative and deeply human work that transforms a cemetery into a vibrant landscape of connection, reflection, and life. Through a series of encounters set along the pathways of Mount Saint Mary Cemetery, the chapbook honors the bonds that unite families, friends, veterans, and strangers across generations.
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Rather than focusing on loss alone, My Cemetery Friends presents the cemetery as a living museum where stories converge. The work explores how chance meetings and shared histories create a “six degrees of separation” effect, revealing how one encounter can lead to another, and how compassion bridges time, memory, and identity. Tomeo’s prose and poetry celebrate nature, humanity, and the overlooked lives that quietly shape collective history.
The book pays special tribute to the military, the forgotten, and the unnamed, offering reverence without sentimentality. Each encounter serves as an invitation to pause, observe, and rediscover meaning in places often passed by without notice. The result is a poetic and reflective journey that affirms peace, empathy, and the enduring presence of those who came before.
Vincent J. Tomeo is a widely published poet, archivist, historian, and community activist. He taught American history in New York City public schools for 36 years and has volunteered at the 9/11 Tribute Center Museum at Ground Zero. His literary work has appeared in major publications, including The New York Times, and he has received more than 100 awards for his poetry and contributions to literature. His poem “A View from a Tower in Calabria, Italy” was sculpted into marble in Italy, marking a rare international honor.
My Cemetery Friends: A Garden of Encounters at Mount Saint Mary in Queens, New York has been archived in Vatican City and has received multiple literary seals, including recognition from Pacific Book Review, Hollywood Book Reviews, and the U.S. Review of Books. The book stands as a lasting testament to memory, compassion, and the quiet conversations that continue to shape the human experience.
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