my knees burn against the carpeting
pulling delicate pieces of china dishes from the cabinet
laced with gold rims and flowered engravings
shoved away for special occasions
for forks to scratch their surfaces
to smear icing and drip with crumbs
until they are pushed so far back
filed like memories in the back of my mind
i could forget they were even there
the years shelved with antique wood
auburn like the crisp air
that hosted eight individuals
for meals around tables
full of loud conversations and sated stomachs
the plates now serve four
the lacking presences vibrant in the dining room
adding inches of dust to the crystal glasses
that were once clinked together in celebration
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