black tea and bitter thoughts

The dark brown paper cup holds
12oz of liquid but the machine
only pours 8oz and i am left looking
at the third of the cup that is empty
and wondering if i should
fill it with honey or milk.

If I leave it empty, which I often do
I know that I have wasted the opportunity
to do something meaningful
or sweet.

The cows have sacrificed
teat by teat -- at the hands
of a cold hearted machine

The bees -- their labor of months
carefully stashed away for babies
and workers who will never know
how wonderful their life might have been.

Who am I
to leave a dream unfulfilled
when so many have worked so hard?