I smashed the rim blue and white

I smashed the rim, blue and white

spattered on cold tile—

like yelling into a crowded room,

too loud, too fast.

Shards bit into my palm,

sharp apologies I couldn’t speak.

The chipped edges, a history

marked by college nights and mornings,

now scattered, lost.

Hands sticky with regret,

a slow ache settling in,

a silence thicker than broken china.