Tessa Heinemann loves digging up history. On an archaeological dig in the old gold-mining town, Virginia City, MT, she discovered 150-year-old remnants of toys, jewelry, and medicine bottles. "I find it incredibly rewarding to transform the experience of casual tourists. They hold artifacts in their hands and begin to imagine the bustling streets of a real community."
In MarjorieManwaring's poem, "Treasure," a single object evokes layers of history and memory:
"Rub away the rust and the muck?
What you hope for - not treasure in a padlocked box
But another unlocking:
Rush of strawberry air, hint of hay
That years ago kept you awake;
climbing down the ladder, over the gate..."
(Broadcast: "Reflections West," 11/05/14. Listen Wednesdays, 3:54 p.m.)