Dinner In The House.... Poem by RIC BASTASA

a plate falls from the table
hits the tiled floor and breaks into pieces

a woman is caught in utter surprise
and breaks into a hysterical
line but soon
realizes that this is nothing but an
accident of its
kind
about an ordinary plate
on the dining table

she regains her poise
keeps her composure and
retains her
feminine reservation,

'it is just a plate',

(it is not
a relationship)

i assure the guests of the house
and then all begins again
upon a witty conversation,
an exchange of
state-of-affairs
some on a cheek to cheek basis
a tee-a-tee
a peek-a-boo
a little laughter here and
another one dashing
over there

the children are out of the house
playing
some men are smoking
to the moon


it is not just a plate,
there is more to this
breaking

it is a symbol of something greater than those
broken pieces

if they only know
someone is talking to oneself.