Archaeology

^{“The monster of modernity must be slowed.”
—Roger Cohen, May 8, 2020, the New York Times}

Water, lime and sand made an ancient
holy space—smothered by conquest’s
heavy stones. As the conqueror’s walls
collapse with a new invasion, what future
stratum will they find of us?

We have our fantasies, that the End
of Days comes, that an ark takes us by twos
to the moon. Creative destruction,
that ruthless dream some took
for progress, should have stayed

a sandbox game. I revisit what
any mother says when she comes
upon a mess: Look what you’ve
done! What were you thinking!
Clean it up!