A History Lesson

First they came with their oversized machines, then they parked those behemoths on the street. In the morning we heard groaning and straining as the machines lifted up heavy toothed shovels.

By the time I raised the shade the asphalt eating wide toothed machines were tearing into the street and spitting out rectangles of black. Another machine inching along on heavy treads followed behind and dug down, deep enough for six or seven coffins.

They were digging up old sewer pipes and laying down new pipes.

Hours later more trucks came and buried the pipes with dirt, gravel, and whatever shards or pieces of history might be of interest to an archeologist. The men in yellow hard hats paid scant attention to the scraps of the past.

Where are the people with their sifters?

We are lost.