Step-Father Ire

Step-Father Ire
---------

I had a step-father once
who became angry
when I refered to humans
as animals

it was not as though
he was religious,
even if he met my mother at church

he did
--once--
say he saw the "light"
that christians want
the "world"
to see,

but humanity
was sacred
to him
whether of not he'd read
even
a single verse
of the

"holy" book

and _sacred_ meant
that humans were not animals
and that
animals were not sacred

and that
kids
just
needed to _shut up_!!!

he never really looked at me,
just grunted
as he stared at the pocked skin
on the back of his hand,
picking scabs ...

it was his sacred
act
after coming home
and taking his place at the
kitchen table

he leaned back--
with the chair tilted slightly
towards the window,
blocking the door to the basement ...

he crossed his legs
and placed a hand on his knee
--the other hand
worked its bloody task ...

"humans are NOT animals"

he said.

Not authoritatively,

rather,
angrily,
self-righteously ...

his anger never did
dissipate ...
it just simmered
and flared.

"humans are NOT animals"
he ejaculated ...
a kind of secondary tremor ...

the entrance to the basement
was blocked by his
bent,
dark-red form...

I just wanted to go
to my room in the basement

with that stupid
article on the Beatles
glued to the cinderblock wall.

josjr (2010 1111)

http://josjr.com
http://cyberkindle.com