Cupboards

by Elise Chen

I wake up from my dreams 
And walk myself 
To the kitchen 

A ceramic bowl 
Catches my eye 
I fill it up  
Add some cereal 
and fill my cup 
with cool milk 
I hold it tight 

Don’t spill it  
The mess you make 
won’t be fake 

Oceans rise 
Glaciers fall 
who knows 
the cause of it all 

I drop my bowl 
The thick  
white ceramic 
cracks 

and tiny pieces 
scatter  
across the room  
under the couch 
and between the dishes 

As hard as I look 
for as long as I try 
I know I’ll end up 
Stepping on a piece 
and bleeding 
leaving a scar 
on my foot 

I wake up with a jolt 
from my dreams 
and go to get myself 
a bowl 
of cereal