Dividing China

Our mother had a set of Royal Doulton-

Twelve place settings-my sister counts the bowls,

While I admire the formal Rondo pattern:

Its golden chain of flourishes and scrolls

Engirdles perfect alabaster spheres,

As fair as Mother felt all life should be,

Before her own lived up to all her fears;

So now it's one for you, and one for me.

But here's a pretty lid without its dish.

We search for something missing- Broken? Lost?

Decide to split the gravy boat and platter

To even up the score. Our gibberish

Is meant to mask some qualm, unspoken cost,

Some question about squaring love with matter.