Crack
Her moment’s hesitation is palpable
A mid-air suspension
Of the lifting action
Towards the waiting lips
To allow for careful observation
And eye-screwed scrutiny
Of the faintest, finest mark
Detected upon the rim
The perimeter of porcelain
At Darjeeling’s very edge
The thinnest line of grey
That may portend a careless hair
Or a deeper hairline crack
Starting from the cup’s lip
Almost hidden on the inside
Descending deep into the liquid
A delicate indicator
Of dirt, or perhaps disease
Harbouring germs beneath
Upon or within the glaze
Of the whitened surface
An earlier accident
Or someone’s carelessness
Cannot be determined
But is now the cause
Of her faint distaste
And this holding moment
That prevents the slightest sip
And sees the china cup
Quietly returned to its saucer
The tea left un-drunk
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