She could not give
away his valuable
Chinese ceramic gifts.
To see them elsewhere
would have caused
waves of pain.
She could not risk suicide
by keeping them...
a random glance sending
her into a sea of suffering.
And so she smashed them
.. for the anger of action
is better than the
paralysis of despair.

Saiom Shriver

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/madame-butterfly-reborn-in-china/