You won’t find heirloom silver, Royal Albert China or a cut glass crystal vase—all trashed in exchange for that second-hand leather-bound copy of Nicholas Nickleby in its original ornate well-kept box. A History of Art Impressionism essential to answer her question: how do I define ‘neoimpressionsm’. A fat ragged, coverless dictionary, the ‘u’ page is still missing. Spelling bee lists & dictee for grade 5. The last dregs of morning coffee asleep in the handless, chipped pottery cup I should toss but can’t. There’s the Crayolas box but blizzard blue, burnt sienna and desert stand are missing. The remains of the last Halloween costume when you dressed up as Quasimodo’s sister: a glue gun, glitter and silky blue ribbons. A reminder letter about winter soccer. In a hundred years what will the archeologist decide went on here.

“Rooted” by Andrea Pottyondy