my apple

I am not proud of it, at all,
in fact,
all these years later,
I am still ashamed,
dreadfully so:

I once starved a worm
to death,

holding that apple
just centimeters
from his tiny mouth.

I am a bad man.

the government says
that things will be better soon.

Give me my apple.



June 15, 2009, from the forthcoming collection, Spoken Rage.

Copyright © 2009, Ricky A. Pursley. All rights reserved.