about the discovery of an earring underneath a parking lot.
An emerald and pearl earring
encrusted in burnished gold,
found beneath a parking lot
in the city of old Jerusalem,
Archeologists assumed
it belonged to one of royalty
perhaps a family heirloom
of Roman or Egyptian artistry.
Who was the woman who lost it?
Was her hair dark, her eyes green?
Was she dressed for a celebration?
Was she listening to words of love,
was there a struggle?
I imagine the earrings dangling from her ears,
her eyes reflecting the glimmer of his
as he offered the gift accompanied
by a matching necklace, a double helix
he carefully clasped around her neck
before he kissed her on the nape
causing chills to run along her jaw line.
I see her start to cry
when he tells her of his affair.
Those perfect ornaments weighing
on her heart are no longer suitable for her outfit.
She pounds him on his chest,
then shoves him out the door,
tearing off the jewels
and throwing them to the floor.
She never finds that single earring
found beneath the asphalt
lost in that Byzantine home
turned to rubble long ago.
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