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China
Good China
Fine China
The really expensive kind of dinnerware
Relatives imported from another continent
As a wedding present
Yes, even China that isn't from China
Solid, but fragile
Can be looked at
Gawked at
Analysed
Shaken
And used
Solely when extreme caution is taken
Something to worry about
Something you want for its novelty
Its distinctiveness
Its character
Something with a story behind it
An interesting story
A Burmese couple made the set
Hand-made the set
Detailed to the core
From the privacy of their apartment
Crowded at every angle by more of the same
Crowded by dirt
Crowded by thick, thick air
They scrounged up the inspiration necessary
To create something
Anything
That could pay their meals to come
They managed, there in dim lighting
There in the fog of dirt
To create beauty
To make every cup different
But the same
To make every saucer equally round
Yet distinct
To have every flower painted on delicately
Beautifully
A very thorough, laborious process
But they did it all together
Smiling
And speaking silence
Love’s favourite language
They tried to sell their items at a nearby square
Only the locals couldn't afford such frivolous things
Useless to them
For what food would they have to eat off of the intricate plates
What coffee, or tea, would they have to drink out of the sophisticated cups
And for how long could they own such impractical
Beautiful items
Before they were stolen
They decided it was worth trying again in a larger city
It would only take a few days to get there
If they walked at a steady pace
They would travel south
Always within the region of Mandalay
Towards the city they heard about on the radio
They heard it was the largest city in the country
They heard there were many foreigners to be found
The next morning, they set out
Comforted only by the nightlight provided by the dim thaw-da
And by hope
Daytime, when the sun felt merciless
They rested
They ate little
Because eating food meant
Eating profit
They walked in silence
Speaking meant wasted energy
And energy cost time
Words were unnecessary
Most of their stock were broken or stolen during the move
They walked quietly, with their heads down
Despite their best efforts
They did not go unnoticed
They decided to pay off the militants with some of the sets
They did not want any trouble
They wanted only to arrive to the city
They heard of on the radio
Strategically, they had tucked away their most precious set.
They stored it safely
Beneath the others
Separated by layers of expensive Burmese silk
Forbidding it from damage
The square in Yangon was much busier than the one in their hometown
There were tourists flocking there
Waving their money around
As they had hoped
Foreigners took great interest in the set
There was too much interest, however
Considering there was only one set left to sell
After several arguments and bribes took place between tourists
The set was sold to its highest bidder
The Burmese couple was glad she was to own it
They noticed the way she looked at the set
With such intrigue and enthusiasm
They realized that this woman
This woman with the yellow hair
This woman with the quiet eyes
Was able to acknowledge what the dinnerware really was
The product of co-operation
Of patience, and of laboured skill
Nothing less
A sense of relief and pride would tuck the Burmese couple into bed that night
The American woman proudly paid the Burmese couple
Two large handfuls of kyats
Much more than the set was worth
She took the set, which had been carefully placed in a box
Only after being wrapped meticulously in layer upon layer of tissue
And was off to the airport
She took the box on the plane with her
Layed it on her lap
And closed her eyes to rest
How perfect is this
Such a simple thing
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Writer Profile
Lynne Lessard
Hi! My name is Lynne and I live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. I'm an undergrad at the University of Ottawa, where I am studying International Development and Global Studies, and Arabic Language and Culture.
I enjoy writing poetry, music and short essays. I hope you enjoy my pieces, and would love to hear from you! :)
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