Piece it together

Piece it together

Another

Victim of slippage

So fragile is

Fine bone china

It rings with the tap

Of a spoon

Shatters on contact

With the ground

Easy on the eye

A tea cup handle

Too intricate

To extricate

Swollen fingers

Red lipstick traces

In amongst the shards

Of gold leaf

Unspoken blame

Spilt milk

Tea stains

And broken things

They all smell old

To the touch

Fragmented lives

Arthritic smiles

Are ghoulish in isolation

Hand the mille-feuille

My dear boy

Just one more bite

Before I take a nap

Not with your fingers

The smell of urine lingers

Even at these prices

Pick up the pieces

After I’ve gone

To change the colostomy bag

Call me an old hag

If you dare

But I still get nervous

When young men stare.