he wears a slim band on his left hand
scratches the ring on the testing stone
explains about the bottles of acid
18 carat, 15 carat, 14 carat, 10
I notice the day’s price of gold on
a white board – changeable
pour the acid there
the right one illuminates the gold
the jewellers were on 10th avenue
he was angry and lurking in the back
she placated, seemed nervous
I wanted something simple, unusual
white gold that swirled from
smooth to gnarled patterns
he never wanted a ring
didn’t want to be branded
didn’t mind that I would be
man with the slim band weighs the ring
plugs numbers into his computer
carat times weight times today’s price
the ring wasn’t ready on time
came in over budget
their marriage was on the rocks
the shop closed soon after
everything portent in hindsight
pour the right acid on a ring
and its true character
shines through