The Crater

When I was young

There was a crater outside my house

Adults called it a pothole

But I knew it was a crater

Or sometimes a rock quarry

Or the location of a devastating mudslide

In it, I carefully placed what some might think were rocks or sticks

But what I knew to be the infrastructure of the biggest city in the world

One day, someone came and filled in my crater

And the bustling civilization fell silent

An entire city wiped off the map

Because someone wanted a smoother ride to work

Now that I'm older

And my eyes are more jaded, worn out, and hurried

I also want a smoother ride to work

But sometimes, as I drive over a pothole

I smile

Knowing that there are still many great seas

Many gold mines

Many archaeological digs

Yet to be put to the good use of imagination

And I drive a little slower