What To Do With An Empty Cup? Poem by RIC BASTASA

the presumption is
you have consumed the hotness of the tea
and now the cup is cold
and empty

at the state of emptiness
shall you break it? or shall you keep it instead
and not wipe it
because there is a mark of the lips
of the beloved

some do the cleaning
wipe out everything
the empty cup shines together
with the rest of the
utensils, spoons and forks and saucers
in the cabinet

the door of the cabinet is closed
and then they all do what has to be done
they move on
with the other more important events in their lives
from an empty cup