Deboning A Chicken

[everyadventure]

He looks over my shoulder
as I debone a raw chicken.
It's an art, really.
But this knife set is ten years old,
a wedding gift, and a cheap one at that.

I massage the wing joint,
searching for soft cartilage,
avoiding the bone while sawing through tendon.
He stands rigid, breath hot on my neck.

It's past time for a new one.
Why have I put up with this for so long?
My hands tremble as I gouge along the keel bone.
A good chef's knife, steel, or titanium--
so useful, indispensable really,
for chopping celery, dicing cheese, cubing ham…

He places a heavy hand on my shoulder, squeezes hard.
It's wise to be properly equipped, prepared.
The door is locked, the shades are drawn,
and I can think of endless uses
for a chef's knife in the kitchen.

[Twota]

i really LOVE it =DDD especially the last verse ('',)

[MystyrMystyry]

...peel him like a potato?


How is he a chicken?

[Delta40]

Oooh you just described my barbie profile pic so well. Hope you get that new knife set soon sweetie!

[Hawkman]

ea: you seem to be revealing deep seated psychosis, but is it just you or all women who have such dark fantasies in the kitchen? I Wonder if I'd be frixated on blades if I'd walked a mile in your shoes... It must be the pink :D

The understated darkness informs the text of this one masterfully though.

Live and be well - H

[PrinceMyshkin]

"It's past time for a new one" threw me for several minutes as, since the last mention of the boning knife, my attention has shifted to the person standing behind you so, for a confused moment, I thought "new one" referred to him; but once you got back on track this was a quietly very spooky poem!

[everyadventure]

Prince, that shifting was intentional. About time for a new... What, exactly?

[PrinceMyshkin]

Prince, that shifting was intentional. About time for a new... What, exactly?

The menace in that ellipsis after "ham"...! But still, I submit, if "new one" doesn't refer to a boning knife, it must refer to the 'chiclen' breathing down the protagonist's neck. Why would she be wishing for a new potential assailant?

"a wedding gift, and a cheap one at that" is a dreadful revelation re the protagonist's marriage!

[everyadventure]

@Prince: time for a new knife set? A new man? A new marriage? Why has she put up with any of it for so long? Take your pick ;)
@MM: delighted you picked up on the double entendre!

[the facade]

ea - i thoroughly enjoyed this!