'Waiting for the Grwost'

Kcymaerxthaere is an art project created by Eames Demetrios. A series of plaques and other markers around the world honor events that have taken place in a parallel universe that, according to Demetrios, “co-exists to some degree with ours.” Most of these installations are bronze or stone plaques inscribed with stories but some are larger, even entire buildings. As of 2021, there are more than 140 sites spread across six continents and 30 countries.

One of Grand Rapid’s Kcymaerxthaereal markers concerns this excellent replica of an Aywatin Bench. It was collected early on in Park Lee Taf’s development of the Museum of the Bench site.  As was his practice, though he took the original, he left behind a stunningly precise copy. Even today, fragments of the original are occasionally reported not far from the original ad hoc visitor’s center of the Museum.

The history of this place was, of course, intimately related to that of the ywreng that roughly approximated the path of the river. A similar place of waiting, with more tragic consequences, can be found about a mile upriver at Forest’s Rest. In general, individuals passed this particular ywreng easily, though large armies would find themselves literally decimated–in the original sense of the word.