Cylindrical drinking vessels shout
indignation over brown ringed stains.
A memory of warmed hands,
a sip of rich lava down a yawning mouth.
Generous helpings scraped noisily
passed from smallest graceful hand,
clumsy as a fresh hatchling,
to the firm grasp of weathered experience.
Left to soak after a morning meal,
frenzied stacks of plates argue
the latest political maneuverings.
Small forks whine in distress,
soothed by exhausted dinner forks
longing for the solace of a frothy pool.
Gossiping spoons whisper of secrets
gathered at the mouths of matriarchs,
dispatched with unsolicited advice.
Pots and pans sullenly soak,
desperate for the family vacation.
Pruning hands bring blissful exfoliation,
bemoan the endless accumulation.
Fluttering sighs hover over neatly
stacked pristine cupboards, shrouded
in anticipation of the next meal.
Alexandra Chapa-Kunz is a graduate student at CSU Bakersfield working toward a teaching credential and Masters in English. She lives in Bakersfield with her son and their spoiled pit-bull named after a velociraptor. She is an avid reader and loves to find new and upcoming authors to support with her reading habits. Her “to be read” pile is a constant evolving mountain she aims to conquer.