Abuse, a poem

there are no thoughts before my dull burning thud of a brain went all dull burning and thud-like thud-like thud-like*

a street artist places a headless man in such a way as to appear that his head was enveloped by the concrete of an office building in Philadelphia

that mannequin knows what I’m talking about

that mannequin he understands

was it the fifth concussion

or the fifteenth

was it a brother pleading for revenge before parent returned home

or was it a mother saying kick him in the head and not the legs

he has to race later today you know

or an older mother saying

well i wanted a hug but just look at him —–>me

was it the 10th crack of my dad’s school ring on my skull

or the 40th

when did I go dim

I never realized I was disabled

but god i must be

looking back

at the attacks

on the smallest human in the house

my time to pack came at 15

I never looked back

but stepped into footprints

too tiny to fill

and a keg or two in order to do my own damage to my own brain

for once

how many times was I left in the rain

how many times did i cry

what is the name of this American game

oh that’s right…Abuse.

*hat tip to Capt. Beefheart in all his glory

2 comments

    • RiaD on December 29, 2007 at 14:16

    this is amazing nlob…

    my one hope is it’s not your brain i read about… that you were not the one abused so harshly

    too many, way too many suffer abuses like this and worse…

    it is animal instinct to pick on the smallest, weakest in the pack. but humans have taken this to a level beyond what any should suffer.

    poverty, ignorance and the trend towards Not having extended family around- those who would normally share some of the burden of raising children- are all contributing factors.

    amazing imagery, thank you

  1. When tears are in your eyes,

    I will dry them all

    I’m on your side

    when times get rough

    and friends just can’t be found

    Like a bridge over troubled water

    I will lay me down.

    ~Simon & Garfunkel


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