Ruthless

The Velcro scream of a wallet having

its guts ripped out by a ever poorer owner

Flies with no break of concentration

scab their devious fumbling onto gleaming

utensils of pure plastic and they bite

delightfully into another starvation

starved offer mixed with a heady

but fruity liquid of carbonated chemicals

pace quickens meal squeals for mercy

receives none as massive white rocks

of perfect uniformity grind its life into a pulp

extracting the life and death that

vegetables must suffer in the quest

of another few hours of a full stomach

and a night of darkness and digestion

The eater pauses cuts with another motion She bites!

DEEP!

HARD!

with a suddenness and horror that only a

threatened piece of corn could possibly

experience the remaining

peas scream and quake staring straight

up at a ruthless efficient killer

knowing their fate but resisting to

the bitter end

like only a British vegetable can

The death juices are wiped away in a

brilliant and indifferent display of victory

the drink thrown back as a final gesture of supremacy

1989