eating rotten apples and spitting up life

 

eating rotten apples and spitting up life 

 

 

in that second 

before the bullet hit 

life slowed 

to the point 

of imperception. 

no color, no light, 

just a slow easy breath. 

 

a million things 

can happen in a single second. 

empires and wars and football games 

can come down to a single second. 

 

in high school 

a poor kid 

with a big head 

thick glasses  

and a knack for falling down 

used to eat apples 

every chance he could. 

 

his parents divorced 

on his fourth birthday 

and his father died 

on his tenth, mom 

worked up at the 

Five & Dime six  

days a week. went  

out on the town 

seven. 

 

by 10th grade 

the poor kid 

with the big head 

thick glasses 

stood upright, 

joined the world, 

pushed aside his past. 

by 12th grade 

life returned to normal 

and he no longer 

ate rotten apples. 

 

and in the single 

second before  

the bullet hit, 

the one fired 

from an AK 

by a rich kid  

bored and empowered, 

and angry at the world, 

 

life slowed 

to the point 

of imperception. 

no color, no light, 

just a  

slow  

easy  

breath. 

 

 Jack Henry

 

Jack Henry is a writer based in the wilds of California and Arizona.  Previous credits have included:  Red Fez, Smoking Typewriter, Piker Press, Razur Cuts, Dissident Voice, Fearless, Raven Cage, Rusty Truck, Ariel Chart, Fleas on the Dog, among others.  In late 2020 his next book, "Driving with Crazy" will be released by Punk Hostage Press.  Oh, and he edits/publishes Heroin Love Songs and 1870...jackhenry.wordpress.com