I broke a glass the other day

It wasn’t my favorite glass

But one I used almost everyday

It had nicks and scratches on it

But still it was a good glass

I told her that I broke the glass

And apologized for it

And told her either I could fix the glass

Or buy a new one

She stopped and looked

Got upset

Looking at the glass on the ground

I tried to reassure her that it was just a glass

And that we’d have another one

Or fix this one

In a very short time

So I swept up the glass

And went about learning how to fix the old one

Or buy a new one

But all she did was talk about

The broken glass that was on the ground

I didn’t fix the glass as soon as I hoped

I wasn’t able to buy a new one when I thought

But I knew that soon

A new glass or a restored glass would come

All she did was talk about the broken glass

On the ground

Brief conversations ensued about

a new or restored glass

But in the back of her mind

All she could think about was

the broken glass on the ground

We’d survived without that glass

We had others

It would have been nice to have something to replace it

But we survived just the same

Finally one day

I learned how to fix the glass

And I had the means to buy a new one

The problems were on their way to be solved

But still

All she could see

was that broken glass on the ground

I wonder in the days to come

When I fix the glass

Or buy a new one

If she will still continue to think about

The broken glass on the ground

I guess all I can do

Is try not to break

Another glass

Chuck Smoot

August 28, 2002

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(Charles E. Smoot © 2003-2009, all rights reserved)