Peale Green

Benjamin Moore

HC-121

Her prized copper plates,                                                                                                                                             

her only memento of her parents,

the only possession she values.

She takes care of them meticulously.

But six times a year,

When birthdays come,

She opens up the cupboard,

wasted, worn, and old,

but clean.

And she takes out her plates,

to polish them with a torn washcloth.  

Sometimes she wipes them clean with water

from the bucket placed under the leak,

other times with her tears,

but the rag glides over the plates anyways.

Each times she cleans the green film over the copper away,

she sees her prized mementos a little thinner,

sees them wasted, worn, and old.

Till one day, as the rag glided over the smooth surface,

her

precious,

prized,

possessions scattered on the floor,

worn to dust,

as if ashes,

the ashes of her parents,

her last memory of them.

But she stood strong, a rock, a pillar,

letting neither sob,

moan,

nor groan,

hold her hostage,

preventing the grief and regret from swallowing her up.

And when she came to their faithful table,

Scratched, cracked, and gouged over the years,

she set down their normal plates, chipped and cracked,

wasted, worn, and old,

she is still happy, congratulating her son, carefully rationing out portions of their meager meals.

Her husband,

wasted,

worn,

and old beyond his years,

catches her eye and sends a wordless apology.

She nods, the only acknowledgement,

the only inch ceded,

a minuscule chink in her armor,

the one sign of her grief shown.

In the darker hours of the night,

she allows herself to be comforted, but never cries,

knowing she would still repeat her actions if given the chamce,

that the rag would glide over the copper once more,

until it became

wasted,

worn,

weary,

and turned to ashes.

Her husband tells her the news.

He´s been promoted to foreman,

and swears they´ll move out of their old house,

and live a new life.

For once, in a long while,

they feel

new,

happy,

and young.

He swears to buy her a new set of copper plates,

and she smiles and hugs him,

but inwardly, her smile is also sad.

There will only ever be,

one set of copper plates.