That plate arrives a disaster in disguise

That plate arrives, a disaster in disguise,

soggy pasta coated in a cheese that congeals,

a meal meant to savor but swallowed with sighs,

expectations dashed, an appetite steeled.

My fork pauses mid-air, searching for taste,

as flavors collapse, they retreat to their cave.

With every mouthful, a stone in my gut,

a moment of silence for meals gone to waste.