a little balm and a little honey

in every pack of pistachios there are one or two shells which are resistant to the fingernail the addictive leverage the satisfying splitting apart you put them aside and save them for later meanwhile pick, click, chew and finally return to the awkward ones refusing to yield their treasure curse them go ahead curse them you won't be defeated, you will solve their riddle you will break their will maybe they can be persuaded by tiny hammer or rolling pin we don't have a rolling pin but don't we have a nutcracker somewhere there was one at christmas, and something else happens more wine a movie some family business and the two nuts stay on the edge of the table waiting to be splintered or just tossed in the trash in the cold morning light