Digging a trench about six inches deep
I encountered a world of things
Just beneath the surface.
Worms, of course, but glass from ages
Gone by of old bottles and perhaps
Spectacles. I found a root system that led
To the biggest tree in the neighborhood,
About 400 feet away.
I found an arrowhead from who knows
Maybe 300 years ago. And there were bolts
All piled together like someone
Would be back for them in just a moment.
I found pieces of a plastic bag
And wondered if it had once buried
A pet and now was just non-degradable
Plastic again.
And as I placed the cobblestones
I noticed an aroma of earth and dirt
That made me happy.
Then I put down some compost soil and
Planted a light grass all around.
And smoothed and raked until it
Seemed as though nothing had
Been disturbed.
But I knew I had only scratched the surface
Of things earthly and historic all around.
As I washed my tools and put them away
I was thinking of you.

07/23/2004

Posted on 02/20/2005
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