The Lives of Furniture III: The Dinette

The Lives of Furniture III: The Dinette

The top of the pink formica dinette
is criss-crossed with scratches from
errant X-acto knives, the bottom decorated
with fossilized bubble gum and letters
scrawled with children’s markers.
History and mathematics have been taught
here, macaroni and cheese eaten here.
Many glasses of wine have been drunk here,
many hot cups of tea have been poured here,
many poems have been written here.
The aqua bench seats have both been re-
upholstered, the propagation of rips
from pen punctures and other assaults.
This dinette offeres the closest seat to the
hottest radiator, on the coldest day,
we have all fought for this spot.
Children have grown up here, from kneeling
on the benches to reach their plates, to
squeezing in, their knees pressing
against the opposite bench,
their feet trammeling each others,
bickering like the small children they
once were.
My grandchildren and their children
will spend time at this dinette, playing Scrabble,
drinking hot chocolate and eating waffles on a
cold Sunday morning, bickering just like
we did for who gets the best spot
next to the warmest radiator in the
whole house.