the good china

it's rare that I put out
the good china
anymore.
why bother with Chinese
delivery.
the box works fine.
I used to though,
when married, or rather
she did.
the bone white china
with little gold
emblems all around.
shiny in the overhead light.
not dishwasher safe,
so you knew it
was good.
it sits out of sight,
unused, collecting
dust behind
the closet door.
maybe in the fall i'll
find a recipe
that deserves such a dish.
bring out the tea cups
too and the gravy
boat, the butter
tray, the dessert plates,
smaller than the rest.