Sand Hills

All around this city are sand hills. As an outsider with little knowledge of geology I didn't put much thought into them. After some weeks in Johannesburg I found out. They are industrial refuse from mining. Johannesburg is a mining town. It didn't exist before the mines, gold was found in 1886 and the city was founded in the same year. Before, this area was endless Savannah today it's endless sprawl. On the edges of town, like on the edges of an ant hill are mounds of sand. The sand is displacement from the mines.

They grew for decades; every year growing in size and numbers. In wind it was dangerous to go outside due to the pelting sand. As time went by the mines have dried. The sand hills have settled, grass has grown holding the particles in place. And eyes can look at the hills no matter what the wind, and now have. There's gold in those hills. The mining operation plans to sift through the sand in search of gold dust. Decades of this will displace the sand again; in the future there will be no hills.

But, I'm sure, the city will stay.