Peeling an egg

An off-white speckled egg
The shell complete
Seamless, impenetrable
Heavy in the hand.

The first crack on the bench
The satisfying crunch of shell
Like feeling the marriage cup shatter under-foot
Reminding me of all relationships
Where tough people can be vulnerable;
Where to be resistant to forces from
Sudden piercing emotions
Makes it easier for cracks to grow

I dig at the crack and scatter the
Lightning traces, the fragmentation of the shell.
Some bits drop to the bench
A scattering of off-white lies and half-truths
Shared secrets that bind us together

The soft white cushion
Bounces robustly in the hand
I look for the opaque lining of denial
Around the white surface, roughly
Tug so that the protective shell that has caged the egg
Can be lifted off
bits of egg-white cling to the fragments
Elements of trust and belief that
Permanently attach to the armour
Of lies

I tear like a hungry animal
Careless in my greed
And end up with an imperfect shape
The egg-white pocked like a moon.

The honey golden glow of yolk
True love’s fertile centre
My prize
I devour it to strengthen my love
Like a cannibal absorbing the strength
Of his enemy.