The garage door opened to reveal a number of totemic pieces of oak wood that came from the local swamps. I adjusted to the dim light in the space as she walked in and turned on a few other lights within.

In a few minutes, she was on her BlackBerry with the other artists, struggling with some of the technical aspects of the work on display, but it didn't matter. The pieces were amazing. As a collective body of work, they were quite strong.

And in the midst of it all, bobbing amongst the pieces of furniture emerging from the concrete floor as though carried along on a gray tide, was this:

On view now, along with the work of many other local artists, in a group show curated by Floodwall's creator, Jana Napoli, and YA/YA creative director Rondell Crier, at On Piety.

Go see.

Update, 9:52 PM: And go read while you are at it. Yesterday.

A week later, K and I went back and were able to salvage a few more things. But for the most part, we donned face masks, gloves, and boots and carted everything we'd once owned out onto the curb. At one point we took a break, and watched as a man pulled up, got out of his truck, and started rooting through our things while we stood on the porch and watched him. I remember crying as he put Emmeline's mold-covered crib and a few other items in the back of his truck and drove off. I wanted to run after him and curse him for having the gall to pick through our belongings while we stood and watched--to me, he was no better than a grave robber. But instead, K and I went back inside and continued throwing what used to be our things into garbage bags and continued carrying them out to the curb. And I still worry about whatever little boy or girl may have ended up sleeping in that crib.