I poured a cup of calm but found a hole in the bottom
defeating my goal of contentment
One cup spilled over with love and happiness
until empty of all emotion
The third cup cried softly in the shadows
my defeat reflected in its glaze
I built a fence of wheat to protect the others
but cups are hollow when kept alone
The last two cups clung to each other
two bodies melded into one
In the heat of the oven, their arms melted
forming again in comfort
Having braved the defeat and the emptiness
they survived the heat together
My heart is a cup crying in the wilderness
aching to be heard and loved
Mona Mehas (she/her) writes about growing up poor, accumulating grief, and the climate from the perspective of a retired, disabled teacher in Indiana, USA. Her work has been published in over forty journals, anthologies, and online museums. Mona is a Trekkie and enjoys watching Star Trek shows and movies in chronological order. Her pamphlet, ‘Questions I Didn’t Know I’d Asked,’ is available from LJMcD Communications. Follow on Twitter @Patienc77732097 and linktr.ee/monaiv