January 3rd, 2010

She gave it to me for Christmas,

Without the usual accompanying kiss.

We haven’t been getting along lately,

But I (at least) still love her greatly.

     The mug was red, with a black design

Curling around in a serpentine.

Big white letters spelled out Dad.

For a novice potter, it wasn’t bad.

     She made it herself in art

But before she could give it to me, it broke apart.

She had no way to fix it and nothing else to give me instead,

So she gave it to me broken (symbolism unsaid).

     The bottom was broken off and the handle was too long..

It looked like it might completely fall apart if you picked it up wrong

It could never be used to drink coffee or tea.

It hadn’t turned out like it was supposed to be.

     I figured I’d put it somewhere on display.

It was what it was, but I loved it anyway.

Compared to anything she could have bought in a store

This useless mug meant a whole lot more.

     I wrapped it in socks so it wouldn’t get broken,

But sometimes things still go wrong (or the wrong words are spoken).

By the time we got home, the socks’ contents

Spilled out in a jumble of red and black fragments.

     I looked at the pieces and didn’t know whether

I’d ever be able to glue them back together.

I tried, but all my attempts despite

I couldn’t make the pieces fit together right.

     I didn’t throw the pieces away; they’re still on my shelf.

I don’t know if I’ll be able to fix them myself.

I was able to match and glue two or three pieces,

And with each match I find, the jumble decreases.

     The pieces are small and brittle,

So I have to work carefully, little by little.

I figure if I can do just a little each day

Then maybe I’ll get the mug back together some day.

    And if somehow I manage to,

I know it will never be as good as new.

But I still want to try and see

Because it means something to me.

     So for you, daughter, I wrote this rhyme.

Think about me when you read it sometime.

It too may be a little lame

But I hope you like it all the same.

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Comments

One Response to “The Mug”

1. Newsericks » Blog Archive » Welcome Home Says:
   August 20th, 2010 at 8:06 pm

   [...] And then maybe go back and reread The Mug. [...]

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