Dinner Service – A Poem

I was so struck by the volume of this dinner service, I wanted to write about it. If you click the source link in the caption below, it will take you to The Met where you can zoom in for a closer look at the amazing detail in these pieces – the coat of arms, the gold, the different types of flowers.

For the poem, I decided on a nonet – nine lines with nine syllables diminishing down to one syllable. This seemed to fit the photo quite well, I thought.

Dinner Service

Imagine having so many friends
Lineage stronger than porcelain
A coat of arms with cherubs
Servants to hand-wash plates
Soups, fish, roast hare, veal
Goose pies, chopped greens
Tarts, jellies
Not one
Spoon.

@elsp 2025

I hope you’re enjoying my ekphrastic series. I’m having a lot of fun researching and writing.