universal acid

my father was a

veterinarian

a lazy one at that

 

and when I was born

he simply stood by and

watched as my mother

circumcised me

with a carrot peeler

 

the trauma left its mark so to speak

 

mom and dad split up when I was five

she ran off with the butcher's wife

he patented universal acid

a liquid that no container can hold

we don’t talk much these days

and the earth is slowly dissolving

Reviews

[. serah .]

-- i just read out this incredibly vivid, poignant and powerful piece of writing to my mother... and right after i reached the concluding lines... i said... "my father has 'patented universal acid' too"... she lapsed into silence for quite a few minutes... and i recounted some recent incidents and some from my childhood... and told her that i always knew there was something terribly wrong with his mind... -- i can't think of anyone who is as hurtful as him... -- sometimes, when we read a poem, we feel our voice has been heard... and we derive solace from the experience... -- right now is one such moment... -- thank you for writing this piece...

[asdarkeyesclose]

'he patented universal acid
a liquid that no container can hold'

life never turns out quite the way we think it will. liked the lines about the acid suggesting his character in a few well chosen words. keep that carrot peeler away!

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

I guess she could have chopped and pureed it. Scars as a childhood are the slowest to heal.

[Ms. Gruye]

you're very sly sir.
I hope that carrot peeler was kind to you.

viva la

[WhiteWillow]

Wow. I feel so much pain on so many levels, its hard to know where to begin. So instead, I'll just say it again: Wow.

[NoneOfYourBusiness akaK..]

the complexity inside simplicity is a hard lure to master~ you've done so~ images bounce around in layers~ and sometimes a carrot peeler is so much more than just a carrot peeler~ *shivers*

[roarke]

the bump in the fabric of the universe:
"she ran off with the butcher's wife"

I'm sure carrot peelers are far more humane than potato peelers....

Quite an acidic study. This write should be bottled and soon as the cup is emptied and refilled.

A superb fitting, seamless read.
The depth from beginning to end catches you off guard, until you read the last line. Dang close to boarder-line genius...