A Buried Fragment

Moving quietly along the garden border past the steps, I noticed a patch of dark, crumbly loam turned up near the wooden compost slats. I pushed my glasses firmly up my nose and knelt on both knees. A flat, triangular piece of pale ceramic protruded from the soil. Using a dry pine twig, I carefully brushed away the encrusted dirt. The fragment bore a distinct blue glazed curve, smooth beneath my thumb like a polished museum shard. I set it against a dry wood chip to keep it pristine while examining its edge.