Digging weeds in
my New Orleans garden
deeply rooted
interloper
cones up with a tank
dangling from roots
a section of gold chain
bracelet, necklace?

three years after
Hurricane Katrina
newly purchased home
I was a transplant
having come to help with
regional revovery

It became sadly routine
broken china
a distinct pattern
though none of the
recovered pieces ever fit

Later, more casual
dinnerware
lots of silverware
mangled forks, bent spoons
a butter knife
a gravy ladle

Large bolts
metal floor joist supports
popped up in our
garden or lawn
kicked up by lawnower

I kept it all in a tub
in the garage
not as souvenirs
but as a remembrance

Recovered artifacts
from unwanted
time capsule
recent history
brought to life
tragedy
aa sobering,
ongoing harvest.