Honey, Pass the Butter Please

"inspired after a conversation with my dear friend Divya about buttons"

Before morning broke 

My resolve to go, 

The idea of where 

We kept the knives 

Seemed of little importance. 

I rarely glanced inside 

The kitchen drawer, 

Gave a thought to how many 

May or may not have been 

Tucked away in places 

I never would have imagined. 

Because I trusted her, 

Her commitment to details, 

It seemed only logical 

That utensils went with 

Utensils. Knives and forks 

Resided next to the spoons, 

Big and little ones, though 

I never have figured out 

Why we need to differentiate: 

Either or, both seem to stir 

Equally well when tasked 

With managing the soup. 

But now, I’ve this queer sense 

Something isn’t quite as right 

As first appearances would make 

Believe. Perhaps there’s trouble 

In Paradise, an insurrection 

Brewing among the steak and 

Butter sets -- what else 

Would explain the sudden disparity 

Between their numbers? 

They’re born as matching sets 

Are they not? I think 

I read that once. Or was it just 

Something I always sort of considered 

A logical assumption. 

I might inquire, but 

Given how we arrived at 

This particular junction,  

Wisdom counsels silence 

The most advisable course 

Of action. Last night’s 

Betrayal still has a hint 

Of bitter omens circling 

The kitchen drain --

Only a fool would venture 

Out into no man’s land 

Empty handed. A dull blade, 

I might be, but not so dense 

As to try and parry 

The scimitar she’s buttering 

My bagel with. 

Ken e Bujold

Reviews

[Chris Shaw]

I hid all my sharp knives. I hate blades so would never use them. I have a real fear of steel. I would have been looking for another way to inflict punishment :) An entertaining read Ken. Trouble at mill. an old English saying.

Chris

[Betty Hermelee]

A mysterious notion going on in this home...nothing seems to be where it belongs....as you searched for a knife with which to go outside the house on your own, but things didn't give...was it a sign of potential problems with the wife?, but better not say anything because " wisdom counsels silence".....you did not want to leave without some protection if you are going to no man's land...."bitter omens circling the kitchen"... the reader wants to know everything! Nice piece Ken!
Best, B

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

LOL! I couldn't help but laugh at the end. You are all seriousness at the beginning and throughout, but you were dead serious at the end. It's the poetic equivalent of asking a woman, "Are you okay?" And her responding with, "I'm fine."

[Ken e Bujold]

glad you enjoyed LInda. give u another laugh. My dear wife read this, and asked what what's a scimitar. when i explained, she asked, and where would i get one of those?

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Ha! Too funny!

[Laz K.]

The magic of this write is that the reader is able to make a list of inferences about the characters depicted.
It would make a great exercise for drama students to reconstruct the details of this relationship based on these words. Also, I agree with the other commentators: it is an entertaining read.

[Dave Brown]

trouble in paradise with only an unbuttered bagel to deflect the downward slice of a razor sharp scimitar
Drawers always seemed to be so innocuous

[Fabian G. Franklin]

This was hilarious! And it was wonderful. I'm the knife collector in our family. I love all sorts of blades from the single-handed Highland sword hanging on my wall to the multiple pen knives I carry in my pockets. I have German Solingen hip knives and Bucks and Case knives. My wife doesn't want anything to do with sharp edges. She peels potatoes with a serious focus akin to an epileptic on the brink of a seizure trying to thread a needle. I think if you have a "dress pocket knife" you might be a "redneck" to steal a Jeff Foxworthy line. And yes, I have one. It's a tiny elk-horn Case that I carry in my suit pocket, just in case. Pun intended. Oh well, keeping track of the silverware was never so much fun. I enjoyed every word.

[Perdition]

Okay, Forgive me but does "SHE" actually butter your bagel in the "literal" or rather in the metaphoric" sense" of the meaning? Cause that might change everything.
Well, for now, we'll have to put that aside as there is very little time. You must understand that that alone is odd enough to warrant a full-out execution...for God's sake man, leave no trace and then leave town. Take to the camouflage of the well-secured foxholes of the nearest woods. Use only the rarest and most trusted methods of cryptology for means of communicating with whomever.
Sleep in the high terrain and caves where you'll have the benefit of awareness come ambush should one be imminent. Very important ..Wait a sec...Hold on!!!. Is this here the knife? I found it in the cabinets next to the Peanut butter... Hahahaha.
How easily our minds play havoc with our reason but this led me perfectly down to an obvious plot of "murder most foul"!
What kind of conversation did you and Divya have anyway?..lol.
A wonderfully strange and ominous tale with a rather humourous ending. I had not heard of that sword in some time, (the "scimitar") since Indiana Jones - Raiders of the Lost Ark, I think? Could have been Aladdin.
This one flows down to the centers of the warren Ken, then it grows from mild OCD to a mad buttering with the Scimitar...Hahaha Always a pleasure ~

[Ken e Bujold]

hahaha. love it whenever you get on a roll with a review my friend. reminds me of Lewis Black.
read morehahaha. love it whenever you get on a roll with a review my friend. reminds me of Lewis Black.

as to convo with Divya. all innocent. how poetry can be about anything and everything. that is its beauty. I used buttons as a metaphor in our convo, but somehow got carried away with butter knives in this one

[Perdition]

I'm just getting warmed up here, I'll be through to the end of your collection by dawn. Wait for it..wait for it... Lack of sleep and journeys along with the responsibilities of caring for elder parents truly cuts deeply into my relevance but HEY...no excuses in the white rage of poetry right?..lol. AND..."There's no crying in baseball!!" Till soon, Thank you Ken!

[willweb]

I have found that sometimes butter comes from the fridge rock hard and often a utensil adjustment must be made though this time it seems someone got a little carried away. I wouldn't concern myself with it too much but if when she asks you to pass the bread....I don't think I would hesitate too much.
Ok...truth time, I had to google scimitar. Now I see. : )

[W. Barrett Munn]

The close of this is so very good because we were led by extended metaphor to the unexpected. Made me chuckle out loud.

Winston

[DIVYA]

A very fascinating poem Ken. Never were kitchen blades surrounded with such intrigue. Indeed, we seldom pay much attention to detail. Perhaps, we take things for granted sometimes. Your words made me uneasy. I sense trouble brewing somewhere, perhaps in a relationship. Yes, be silent and perhaps watchful. That scimitar seems so foreboding of something ominous!