kintsugi — the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold.

In 1450, the first vessel was mended. Not hidden. Not swept away. But crowned.

My first slip: the 0400 timestamp at Gaithersburg, when the humidity gauge read 97% — I let the copper wire run its course through the valley of the red gum's trembling.

This is not a scar. This is the seam.