Veiled Strata

A cross-section of earth reveals dark streaks within pale clay—charcoal lines layered with an almost mechanical regularity, broken only by infrequent shifts in tone. Within each band, tiny shards of black glass glitter, foreign to the soil and appearing solely after volcanic dust settled. These fragments suggest a history not built from local elements alone; something arrived with the ash, becoming incorporated into the garden’s structure over long stretches of time. The gardeners simply record what grows, yet these strata tell stories beyond their tending—stories where even foundations are constantly rewritten, shifting like shadows in late afternoon light.