Ayers 
by Madelyn Rosenberg

The man says: 
I can probably find the holy grail in here 
if I look hard enough. 
But he is neither religious 
nor an archeologist 
and he finds, instead, 
an egg timer 
Molly bolts, copper pipes 
a batik scarf that would never be mistaken 
for a shroud 
plaster of Paris, mouse traps, baseball bats, 
suet 
a mason jar that will store brandied peaches 
too fermented to eat 
at some anonymous supper. 
He leaves with seeds 
and a vow to dig.

Madelyn Rosenberg is the author of eleven books for children, including How to Behave at a Tea Party and Cyclops of Central Park. This Is Just a Test, written with friend and author Wendy Wan-Long Shang, was a Sydney Taylor honor book, a New York Children’s History Book prize finalist, and a Children’s and Teen Choice Book Award finalist. A freelance writer and editor, Madelyn lives with her family in Arlington. Visit her online at www.madelynrosenberg.com.

Written in Arlington / Spoken in Arlington is a print and digital collection of the poets and poems of Arlington, VA, edited by Katherine E. Young and published by Paycock Press (forthcoming, fall 2020). It is supported in part by Arlington County through the Arlington Cultural Affairs division of Arlington Economic Development and the Arlington Commission for the Arts. For more information, visit Arlington Arts.

Image: After the Rain mixed media/collage on canvas by Anya Getter (fragment)