Dust

To have been a thing, any thing, is marvelous, but to have been among the class of creatures capable of naming is a singular wonder. The Old means the acknowledgment of dust as once having been other things, living beings or civilizations past. It is what’s called a kenning, a metaphorical collage-like expression—dūst meaning “dust” and sċēawung meaning “contemplation.” Dust requires us to confront our own transience and eventual anonymity, and doing so demands a flexible, inventive use of language.