A Glimpse at the Possible

A Glimpse at the Possible


He stopped offensive spiders from dancing-
Squashing their clockworks into bitter juice--
Such smears on walls and floors gave me no pause

But a statue, I was, at a mallet
Arching through his universe at a rat

This was not Alice’s birded croquet
(The reality of pests is darker)

His target had trespassed, pilfered kibble,
Awoken us with squeaks, scratches and thumps--
Damage to wiring was unknown, but feared

The rodent’s eviction was imminent-
By death or by capture, we would quit it

Our traps collected no creature’s carcass-
Our wall pounding just bruised our futile fists-
Poisons placed like a molester’s candies
Brought not ruin to the marauding sprite

Our deliverance was its bludgeoning-
Our gangly champion, a son, aged ten

As some brutish bile was loosed in his blood-
An ancient switch flipped--the berserk occurred--
His synapses fired a cacophony-
Savage voices urging in a new tongue--
Wild blows were meted out by meatless arms

The furry vermin twitched its last spasm

The boy who eats spinach at my command
Insisted that death inhabit the corpse

In motherly arms, even Vikings cooed--



When Tobias was 10, we had a rat living in our walls and garage. It was destroying things and we were determined to kill it. The successful attempt involved Jeff stunning it by shooting it with a paintball gun and then Tobias hammering it with a croquet mallet. (Don't tell your PETA friends.) I watched this horrific display from outside, through the garage window. I just remember seeing my cute little boy turn into a crazed killing machine, wildly swinging a game's mallet down on a furry bit of vermin. It astounded me that he could become such a primal creature right before my eyes. Anyway, now that you are all completely disturbed by my family...