The pig had been a pet to the youngest
brother of twelve Hawaiian boys. Ali, and
he loved that pig. I was five, and Ali at the
time 20, was dating my mother. We had
been invited to his family's home for a
Luau (Big pig roast) on the Island of Kauai.
A giant tin basin stood poised by the spit.
There was an unease in the way the pig
moved, it knew. I knew it knew, and it
knew I knew... It took four men to pick
it up squealing and kicking. Plopping
it on its back upon that huge wooden table.
My mother tried to cover my eyes, but I
wouldn't let her. I darted to the other
side to get a better view.
The older brothers made Ali kill the pig,
because it was in honor of guests and new love.
I don't know who looked more frightened,
him or the pig? I was frozen by the horror
of it all. Yet completely in the moment.
Wearing my heart in my throat. The sun was
setting into the Pacific with big bright gold -
- red blasts. The blade went up, the blade
came down.
Moment to moment I recall the shrill even to today,
A cry so high and loud as if to god itself...
Of that young man with pig. Ali, reaching
around in our dinner, in his childhood friend Looking -
- to find, and pull out the heart... It took 30 minutes.
Finally, Ali's mother came out with a hammer, and
did it right. I got a fried ear later out of the deal;
Left a bad taste in my mouth like early rain,
and nobody to warm up to.
Author notes
Written January 13th, 2004
In a list
A contest entry
- A whole new world? by MelficeRoesorVelve.
300 points, ended April 7, 2006, 18 entries
Bronze trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - The Catch is.... by Nicole Hanna.
600 points, ended February 3, 2007, 11 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 29 of 29
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compelling
i am waiting in angst for more
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Fuck sake Jeremi... however you turned out not to be fucked up I'll never know.
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Budda-Boom
Killer piece, great ending!
I will remember this as the pork contest.lol.
Congrats on a well deserved award.
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Wow. That's a touching one. Good usage of words too, you seem to say nothing more or less than needs to be said.
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excellent
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Exactly what I'm hoping to get!
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The silence of the ham.
M -
you've taken "he killed the pig" and transformed it into this vividly detailed "i'm right there" story.
you've a great talent with writing... even the parts of the story that grossed me out
"Left a bad taste in my mouth like early rain,
and nobody to warm up to."
that was an excellent ending!
Edited on Jan 15, 5:16 p.m. because ''. -
Well it isn't anywhere near as clinical and removed from the whole notion of having to kill something in order to satisfy one's own hunger and nutritional rquirements as reaching for that pre-packaged porker in the grocery store. And just how poetic could that experience be in the long run comparatively? But damn.... fried ear? Even the heart would not have left as bad a taste in your mouth as that ear. Those are supposed to be given to the dog aren't they? Very interesting write. I actually know what its like cause I raise a good deal of the food my family eats right here on my land.
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Talk about goose bumps, very well written, as usual you have done it again and showed you are a master of your craft, it keeps the reader there even when a part of you is saying I dont want to watch, so you see you took the person there, and you felt also the touch of sadnesss, great write
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Wow I really liked this piece. I have always had a strong connection with animals. I like the part where you said you didnt know whether the screaming was from the pig or him. Having to kill something you love, and take its heart out...its so sad. This poem was different, and thats why I iked it.
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Yes....a rite of passage in many a farmohuse as well. I'm SO glad I wasn't raised on the farm with my cousins. I can still convince myself hamburger grows on bushes!
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Your imagery in the last stanza was wonderful. Particularly the descriptions of the noise made, and how you felt afterwards. Great write,I really enjoyed this one.
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loved the visual aspect of this piece, cool poem
all the best
outtie -
intersting story
Well at least that piggy was treated well before it was slaughtered. Out in the back country they have confined feeding operations operated by big corporations were the piggies go through hell from day one living a life of torture and horrible mistreatment in overcrowded barns packed so tight the animals can't even lay down. If people knew how awful these corporate farms were (as compared to small family farmers who knew how to treat their livestock, as they were their livelihood), maybe laws on the books would actually be enforced. Now wait a second, enforce the laws when it comes to corporations......ha, like that's going to happen in a nation fastly becoming a corporate dictatorship through apathy and ignorance; why is it people always wait till it's too late,.....dang, this has turned into quite a rant,.......hmmmmm.
Anyway, interesting story. -
darn i already read this one
can't remember if i left you a comment
you are comedy -
Wow...very vivid to say the least...I don't think I would be able to watch it...I probably would flip out lol...excellent write although I find it a little disturbing myself (funny I'm disturbed by the death of a pig and not by more gory murder tales - I never claimed to be normal haha). Thanks for featuring it.
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Watching some you adore die. And then you have to eat it!
What an uneasy situation to be in. Anyway... this is pretty good. I especially like the line... 'The sun was
just setting into the Pacific in bright golden
red blasts. The blade went up, the blade
came down.' That part is really powerful and climatic. This piece feels really complete. Good job. -
This was very different and well-written. I really enjoyed the story. It sounded true, so if it wasn't extra kudos to you.
Jennifer -
Congratulations on your third place, a well deserved trophy........Take care......
Sanity.
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Actually they said, and I quote, "infoming". Which apparently is what the viet kong would do to a prisoner with a light expandable foam if you were less than cooperative.
Edited on Mar 09, 3:51 because ''. -
Awesome
Reading all the comments, I think everything has been said so as not to be repititious all I will say is I really found this fascinating, I don't think I would have been able to watch that let alone let a five year old watch it........Thanks for entering and good luck...........
Sanity.
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Brilliant
This is yet another marvel horus8. Your description of the sunset that foreshadows the blade is especially impactful. Did someone write that this was quite informing? I am baffled. This is sheer power, evoking emotions linked not only to mortality, but also to childhood and the horrors that occurred daily and are largely forgotten. Color me stupid. -
Vivid
Now this isn't a home video I've seen before --- not even on "American's Funniest Animal Slaughters".
And a video it is. I swear I stood there and watched the event roll by although the higher frequencies of the pig screaming got lost in the limitations of the microphone, I think I get the idea.
Exceptionally descriptive and all too vivid in the telling. Well wrought write.
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I love pork and this will not make me love it less. Nice try Horus!
Amazing story, anyway. -
excellent
This was the most horrifying thing I've read since "Lord of the Flies"...even more awful because I know it is probably true. What an awful thing. I'm having trouble formulating coherent words around the anguish I'm feeling. Sorry. I can tell you this was one excellently written piece....though I found it far too disturbing for my tastes.
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cool write it reminded me of when my hubbie's grandpa gave me a rabbit let me name it then two months later killed and made rabbit soup with it i was tripped out by the whole incident
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wow.. this is a great story and quite infoming ... I have never been to Hawaii nor to a pigroast... but I have however worked at a meat market and a slaughter house ... I know of that look that you spoke of.. well.. good luck..and thanks for entering my first contest
Jeff -
Dude this is a lovely story but it's a god damn story choder not a poem ok my big mac sucker i liek it ok ok ok ok ok ...i like it god dammit!
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