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...

[DIVYA]

A universal and long lasting acid. The earth feels like its still dissolving for me, at times. I related only too well to your words. Mine hit me in my thigh with a kitchen knife when I was three. Still have the keloid there. I forgave her for it because at three years of age, I was an older, wiser soul than her. But I don't forget. This poem is so graphic and hits home hard. A brilliant metaphor in the acid.

[SkinlessFrank]

Sorry to hear about that. I think I finally found the container. Sending you healing wishes.

[DIVYA]

Thanks a lot. 🙋‍♀️

[M. Shepherd]

Shock poetry is at its best situated in unadulterated, ambivalent truth, which this undoubtedly is. A damn carrot peeler, good lord. The fact of it sells itself.

I also love the sort of casual dismissive tone you use to mention these searing, personal truths, while coorelating the planet's immutable entropy to your personal and familial entropy - a staggering parallel.
and how the fact of your father's invention is a perfect metaphor.

[Filipe Magalhães]

This poem is dry, arid, corroding. These characteristics synchronizes with the pain you try to present to us. The main metaphor stablish connection between "acid", the hurts of your "poetic me" and the failure in most of human relationship nowadays.

[Renée]

Traumatized...that is the first thing that popped into my head.. Powerful, visual write Mr. Frank

[Urja Gokani]

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

Seems a train of thought from childhood to.. wherever you're going next. That last phrase points to more than personal ... more than trauma and a befuddled awareness of what was done never truly leaves.. tis an ironic squirm of thoughts dissolving and juggled, methinks. But, then, am often wrong.

[Emily B]

I know a young vet, found a dead deer in his driveway, his dad asked are you sure it is dead, he came back with I studied dead

we are what we study, we are the thing we write in the line beside occupation, we are what our parents make us

sometimes we are more even than that

[...]

because you are a scientist, I'm gonna review this scientifically :) Keep in mind that substances at either end of the pH spectrum can be corrosive, but, if you combine these substances they neutralize. They balance because they are opposite ends of the scale. So, if the mind is bottle of apple cider vinegar (with the mother) then let your heart be a life time supply of milk magnesia :)

[emmajoy]

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

Seems a train of thought from childhood to.. wherever you're going next. That last phrase points to more than personal ... more than trauma and a befuddled awareness of what was done never truly leaves.. tis an ironic squirm of thoughts dissolving and juggled, methinks. But, then, am often wrong.

[Hawkmoon]

hahaha nice. Steven Wright meets Bukowski! Could be more streamlined to intensity of the concept of universal acid, which is a very brilliant idea: kind of like Vonnegut's Ice 9.