Thank god, mym-other & f-atherhadn’t discoveredthat paddle with allthe attached pins & needles & used a leather belt instead. © SB Joy, 2021 © SB Joy, 2021 That belt hurt my pride, my ass and destroyed any trust I had with my parents. Without trust there is no relationship. To this day I struggle with …

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A family can survive major pruning.The loss of parent, grandparent, child.However, a family tree can’t survive without its bark. The stripping away of my childhood’s outer layer.The intentional toughing up routines backfired,thinning the skin until raw and every word or touchburned like a bare light socketsunk into my exposed muscle and sinew. Skinned alive, exposed, …

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I meant to write a poem today, however, I lacked resolveand a bitter brotherly love. Mostly, I lacked the memories that could chain me to a tree. Instead, to my neighbors chagrinI barked all day. © SB Joy, 2021