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The Apple

2010 March 1
by J. Scott Mosel

for Mrs. Burns

But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Matthew 18: 6

If I could start over and get it right this time

I would begin by killing my kindergarten teacher,

Mrs. Burns. She was a bitch. Her gaze was hot,

and so was her hand, the one she used to spank

on the first day of school. I could not tie my shoes.

Now, just one shoelace would do. I would tie it

around her neck with a slip knot and pull it tight

till her face turned purple and her eyes popped

out of this poem, stuffed down her throat,

the apple I never gave her.

from → J. Scott Mosel, Poetry

9 Responses
  1. peg mosel permalink
    March 1, 2010

    Scott, This is really tooo much. I wish you could have seen my face when I saw it. I was laughing so hard I was almost sick. The thing is, (this is for everyone who reads this,) if I had known this “b” spanked my child on his very first day of school, I would have killed her! You are so funny!!! Mom

  2. peg mosel permalink
    March 1, 2010

    Mrs. Burns it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  3. Joseph Bastow permalink*
    March 2, 2010

    This is truly one of your best. Aside from the sickening nature of the subject matter, the control of the language here and the pop-up nature of this piece on the page is fantastic (as in “eyes popped/out of this poem)! I also like the classical/cannonical allusion the apple has to all that is at once a gesture of kindness and at once forbidden – the very nature of innocence lost. Very graphic in gesture and in tone. Fabulous.

  4. Lois permalink
    March 2, 2010

    Oh geez, Scott I was right there and it really did dampen my first day of school. She said if I didn’t stop crying (over the horror that was happening there) I would get a spanking too! Imagine in this day and age if something like that had happened?

    What can we do about the Mrs. Burns of the world?

    Heal through the words….
    Wow.

  5. Anne permalink
    March 3, 2010

    disturbing…yet enjoyable.

  6. J. Scott Mosel permalink*
    March 5, 2010

    Sounds like a description of great sex.

  7. J. Scott Mosel permalink*
    March 5, 2010

    Joe, you have once again lifted my seen stab at art and made it unseen. You know what I mean.

  8. J. Scott Mosel permalink*
    March 5, 2010

    The Mrs. Burnses of the world will get their due. The Bible told me so.

  9. J. Scott Mosel permalink*
    March 5, 2010

    Dear Mom,

    I have a feeling that someday, you will get your chance. Remember, it’s all just a flick. Flick!

Comments are closed.